A Thin Line
by skalice
Summary: Quinn has to spend most of the Summer between junior and senior year in Cali with her parents. When she comes back home, she barely recognises her best friend Santiago - and starts to question her feelings for him. Quinn/Santiago, genderswap story.
1. Chapter 1

Quinn Fabray rests her head against the window in the back of the spacious car. Every few seconds, she glances at the phone in her lap, her heart dropping at the lack of a message. She bites her lower lip and closes her eyes, trying to fight the wave of disappointment crashing down on her.

At first, she was annoyed when she didn't hear anything. Then she got pissed. Then furious. Then worried. Now intensely sad. _Why did he stop calling and texting? He knows I'm on my way home... didn't he miss me at all?_

As they are getting closer to Lima, Ohio, Quinn starts recognising more and more of her surroundings. It's a beautiful day in mid August. Everything seems to glow in the sunlight, but it doesn't cheer her up. It's hot in the car and she can feel strands of hair sticking to her forehead, her summer dress clinging to her damp skin. _I'm going to take a shower when I get home_, she thinks to herself. _Not like I'll have anything else to do._

She feels drowsy, as she always does after traveling for a long time, but she forces herself to stay awake. _Just in case._ Quinn looks out of the window again, counting the miles until they get home. They've nearly reached Lima. She doesn't much like her hometown and can't wait to get out of there to pretty much anywhere that's big enough to escape in anonymity rather than have every mistake you make exposed and highlighted. Yet right now, she wants nothing more than to be at home and curl up on her bed and be angry, full-on. She presses back the tears of frustration.

_Come on_. It humiliates her to admit it, even if it's only to herself, but she's desperate. Desperate for any kind of message, one word, a sign of life. She begins to grow worried about him again. This is not like him at all. He's not one of those people whose cellphones seem to be glued to their hands or in their pockets, but it's not like him to just disappear on her like this. _Santiago Lopez, I'm going to kill you the minute I get home!_

She's barely finished that thought when her phone buzzes. Her heart jumps and she's doing all she can to ban the hope from her face as she reads the text. Her heart drops lower than ever a second later. It's just her phone company with some lame new offer. Her parents sitting in the front of the car are the only thing keeping her from groaning out loud. Then her phone buzzes again. She has half a mind not to look. Why would she do that to herself? But she can't resist.

**TIAGO**

**So sorry! Lost phone. U home yet? Miss my homegirl.**

__It takes every ounce of willpower Quinn has in her magnificent body not to grin widely and scream with joy. _I knew it. I knew he didn't forget._ She shakes her head, relieved that he'd just lost his phone - again. _Dork_, she thinks to herself. _Typical._

"Hey, can I go and see Brittany as soon as we get back?" Quinn asks. She knows her father doesn't like the Lopez family, even though Santiago's father is Chief of the Lima Police. Russell Fabray doesn't like foreigners, and 'especially not those lazy good-for-nothing scumbags, what are Latino's good for anyway?' Russell has got a problem with most of the kids in Glee club. He doesn't like Rachel because she's Jewish and 'lives in a freak show, a pretend world' - gay dads. Doesn't like Kurt Hummel - gay, flamboyant and father owes a tire shop. Doesn't like Tina and Mike - Asian. Doesn't like Sam - poor. Doesn't like Puck - scum. Doesn't like Mercedes - black. Doesn't like Finn - single parent can't raise a family. Doesn't like Rory - foreign. Is hesistant on Joe - the Christian thing is good, but those dreadlocks cause wariness in her father. He likes Brittany and Sugar, because Brittany's father is a highly esteemed doctor and Sugar's father is a businessman like himself (but Russell does insist that his own business is worthier).

"Can't that wait until tomorrow, dear?" Judy frowns.

Quinn knows how to play her parents. "She's excited about me being back and you know how impatient she gets. She'd probably drop by the house and interrupt your unpacking. I can just take my car when we get home, it needs a spin anyway."

"Alright," Judy gives in, as Quinn expected. "But no alcohol."

Quinn nearly snorts. Hypocrite. "Of course not, Mom."

###

When her father parks the car in the driveway, Quinn all but runs to her room with her suitcase. She doesn't even take the time to have that shower, or to change into other clothes. She's too excited to see her best friend again. They've never been apart for that long and even though they've been calling and texting regularly, the only interruptions when Santiago couldn't find his phone, she's dying to see him.

Before she gets into her car, she finds her mother in her bedroom and says: "It might get late, so don't wait for me to have dinner. I'll probably sleep over as well, but I've got some nightwear and such at her house," Quinn says. This is all true - but for Santiago. She sleeps over there so many times that sometimes, she's convinced that half of her clothes are in his closet.

"Sure, dear," Judy smiles happily. "Have fun with your friend!"

_If only you knew what friend... and of course you're happy to have me out of the house, now you don't have to feel guilty about getting drunk._

Deciding to shed these worries, she gets into her car and makes her way over to Santiago's house, probably violating about a dozen laws in the process. She parks in the empty slot in the Lopez' driveway and gets out, her breath cut off by something running into her stomach. When she looks down, she smiles.

"Quinnie!" Alessandra Lopez squeals. Alessandra is 11 years old and adores Quinn.

"Hey, Lessa," Quinn greets her back. "Where's your brother? I haven't seen him in forever!"

"He's out back," Alessandra pouts. "He's being boring again, working in the garden."

"Thanks, I'll come and see you later, okay?"

Alessandra nods excitedly. "See you later, Quinnie!"

Quinn makes her way around the house, but can't see Santiago anywhere. The only person she can see is a (nicely curved) ass sticking out from a bush. As she comes closer, she can see that this guy is wearing a pair of shorts, but nothing is covering his well-defined back. She wonders if maybe he's a cousin Santiago forgot to tell her about - his mother comes from a large family and over the years, Quinn has become convinced it's impossible to meet his entire family.

She scrapes her throat. "Hi, I'm looking for - holy shit!"

The guy turned around at 'Hi' and it's only when she sees his face that Quinn realises this is Santiago. He grins widely when he sees her, but Quinn's too busy keeping her eyes in her sockets. Abs. Chest. Biceps. Stubble (jaw _and _upper lip). Short hair. _Fuck_. She can't believe it. Her legs are rubbery and she's not sure how much longer she can stand up.

"Quinnevere!" he shouts out as he wraps his arms around her.

Quinn finally regains her composure. "Sir Lopezelot!" she squeals happily, flinging her arms around his neck.

He lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist as he circles with her on the spot. Quinn is happy to note that he still smells the same.

Finally, he puts her back on the ground, panting and wiping sweaty his forehead. "I never thought I'd see the day where Quinn Fabray cursed voluntarily."

"Well, look at you!" Quinn scoffs, blushing. "You didn't tell me about any of this! You even made me _think_ a curse word."

Tiago frowns. "I didn't tell you any of what?"

"Oh, I don't know, just that your entire body changed from scrawny chicken into sexy guy!"

_Oh God. I didn't _not _just call him sexy_. Quinn slaps herself mentally. And then she wonders how it is that she's self-conscious around him. This is her Tiago, for crying out loud! They've known each other since he first helped her colour that picture of a puppy on the first day of kindergarten. She still has the result in her room. It's horrible from an aesthetic point of view, but holds so many memories she could never throw it away.

"Come on inside, I got your favourite coffee. And maybe you can take a shower, you stink." He makes a show of wrinkling his nose.

Quinn grins as they make their way across the garden. _Exactly as I know him._

###

Santiago's sitting in the hallway as Quinn dries off, resting his head against the wall. "So, you're staying over tonight," he says. "We're having pizza and popcorn and we're watching a shitload of movies in my room and then I gotta tell you a ton of stuff I didn't want to tell you over the phone."

Quinn peaks her head around the door. "You kept things from me?" she pouts as she towels her hair. "Way to make a girl curious. Come on, tell me."

"Well, I suppose one of them doesn't really need a right time, it's just good news. But I wanted to tell you in person so I could see your face and you could congratulate me properly," he beams.

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Come on, tell me!"

"Coach Beiste asked to meet the soccer team over the Summer. You know how the football guys have been losing for years on end, and we kind of have been winning a lot the past few years?"

Quinn nods. "Yeah. And Puck still walks around like he owns the place."

"Well, not anymore," Santiago grins. "Figgins decided to focus on soccer as our school's representative sports. And since Scrotum graduated, I got made Captain too!"

"That's awesome!" Quinn exclaims as she steps out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of tiny shorts her parents don't even know she owns and a tank top. "You must be so happy that Scott Umphrey graduated, you hate the guy. Did I tell you he asked me out last year?"

Santiago gasps dramatically. "Only about a thousand times! Whenever I felt crappy and you wanted to make me feel better by reminding me you pissed him off by refusing him and the look on his face was priceless and well worth it!"

"What does that mean for the cheerleaders, though?" Quinn wonders.

"Apparently, Sue was really happy with it. She said that this way, she doesn't have to waste her Cheerios' time and energy on those 'useless losers degrading our entire reputation and everything we stand for'. You'll be competing in cheerleading stuff, but you won't have as many big games to cheer anymore."

They make their way to Santiago's bedroom. He slumps down in his chair and she starts brushing her hair. "So, what's the other thing you didn't tell me over the phone?" Quinn prompts.

Santiago starts fumbling with his fingers. "Well, I told you Charhead was in town?"

Charhead has been their nickname for Quinn's cousin, Charlie Fabray, born Charlotte Fabray, for ages. Charhead's a punk and the family's shame. Russell doesn't exactly keep it a secret that he's glad that Charhead is his brother's daughter and not his. "What was she up to again?"

"She was on this road trip for the Summer and she was visiting a friend in Columbus when she figured she might as well pass through Lima and see what was up with you. She obviously didn't know you were in Cali. She came to my house when nobody answered your door and we hung out for a day or two, then she skipped town again."

"Okay. You told me all of this. Don't tell me you wanted to tell me in person she dyed her hair green." It _would_ be just like Santiago to pretend something huge happened, only to have it be a minor detail.

"No, pink," he grins. "But... yeah. What I didn't tell you... it's kind of awkward, and it's not like you need to know, like, you know, I don't even know why I'm telling you because it's not _that_ big of a deal, but it kind of is, to me, that is, so, you know-"

"Tiago, you're rambling, which means you're nervous. What did you do and what happened to 'ethnic people don't blush'?"

"I kind of... had sex with her?" his voice is small and he nearly cringes, knowing full well that Quinn knows that he was a virgin before this happened.

"You _what_?"


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn bursts out in laughter and expects Santiago to join her any moment now. The idea of her best friend sleeping with her crazy cousin is just surreal. Her laughter fades when Santiago is still blushing heavily, tugging at the hem of his shirt to have something to do with his hands. He always needs to have something to do with his hands when he's nervous.

"Wow," Quinn finally breathes out. She quirks an eyebrow. "You slept with Charhead."

Tiago nods. "As I said." He looks away, out of his window. "She didn't recognise me when I opened the door to her, you know. Thought I was some older cousin or brother."

"So she didn't even know it was you when you had sex with her?" Quinn asks incredulously.

Tiago rolls his eyes. "Of course she did. Told her as soon as she asked me about Santiago. Duh. I'm just saying... I mean, it's not like she slept with the skinny loser I was up until now." He looks Quinn in the eye, and to her surprise, she can see some hurt there. "But it's nice to know that even my best friend thought I was too disgusting to want to sleep with."

"It's not that!" Quinn exclaims, swatting his arm playfully. "You're acting like a girl on her period, Tiago. It's just... it's _Charhead_! Why would you sleep with her? And how come you changed so much physically? You've obviously been working out."

"I felt like it, she felt like it," he shrugs. "And I was tired of being this skinny kid with the charming smile but nothing more. I had a growth spurt, obviously, and mother nature did some work, but yeah, I started doing some extra exercises and some weight lifting. I just wanted to look good."

Quinn smiles and ruffles his head. "You looked fine to me, Tiago."

"Obviously."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Quinn asks, sighing heavily. "I don't know what's going on with you. Why are things so tense between us?"

"Because of your reaction! I had sex, so fucking what?" Tiago snaps. "You're acting like it's some kind of miracle that I got laid."

"No, Tiago. It's some kind of miracle you got laid _with Charhead_. I mean, I knew before that she has sex outside of relationships, but I'd never have thought you were attracted to her. Face it, Charhead is basically me with different hair and different clothes. It's almost like you had sex with me."

"Yeah, you'd want that, wouldn't you," he winks, and Quinn is relieved to see her friend back. "What about you, though? You went to California, lots of semi-naked guys on beaches. And girls in bikinis. Girls in monokini." He puts on dreamy eyes she knows he's faking and then says:: "Hey, I think I'm traveling with you in your suitcase if you have to go again next year."

Quinn blushes heavily, her entire face and neck showing red spots. She told Tiago before Summer that she thinks she might like girls as well, but she's not nearly at the stage where she's comfortable enough to joke about it.

"They all look the same," she shrugs. "Same hair, same body. Boring."

At that moment, the doorbell rings. Quinn, who is seated closest to the door, jumps up and grabs Santiago's wallet, ignoring his faint protest. She runs down the stairs and opens the door, as if she lives there. She pays pizza guy, who of course has to be that weird kid with the dreadlocks who always tries to hide that he's perving on her, and runs back upstairs. She figures she'll greet his parents tomorrow, when she doesn't have two piping hot pizza's in her hands.

Quinn returns to his room and to her delight, she notices that he's already arranged the pillows on his bed so they can watch a movie comfortable. He reaches out to take one of the boxes, but she holds them back. "Take your shirt off."

Tiago frowns. "What? Why?"

"I want to make sure you're real. Let a girl perv?" Quinn pouts. "Maybe you can pretend I'm Charhead," she adds with a wink.

"Will you take off yours, then?" he adds hopefully, and for a moment, Quinn's not sure whether or not they're joking. She is astounded that she actually considers this request for a split second, but then she swats his arm.

"No," she says decisively. "But you can have half of my pizza too if you take it off."

"Deal," he grins.

Quinn smirks to herself. Santiago's appetite is insatiable and she always knows she can rely on that to make deals that mostly benefit her. _I wonder if his other kind of appetite is that insatiable._ She shakes her head. Where did that thought even come from?

A little while later, they're absolutely stuffed. Quinn has no idea what movie they're watching because her eyes keep lingering on his body. It's still hard to wrap her mind around the fact that this is her sir Lopezelot. She can't believe how much he's changed, that this is the very same guy she's known for all these years.

"Hey, Q," he says suddenly.

She turns to look at him - for once, she was actually watching the screen - and quirks an eyebrow, inviting him to continue. It's some kind of unspoken language between them. Quinn's quirked eyebrow means either 'Go on', 'You're shitting me' or 'Well that is awkward', depending on the situation.

He starts plucking at the drawstrings of his shorts, avoiding her eyes. "How do you really feel about me sleeping with Charlie? It _was _a one-time-only kind of thing, you know."

Quinn sighs. "Honestly? I don't know. It's just... I had no idea you were ready for that. As far as I knew, you were just as hesitant as I still am to be intimate with someone. And I always thought you'd be the kind of guy who'd only have sex with a girl he loves."

He doesn't answer immediately. He seems to be mulling over his thoughts, chosing his words carefully. He scrapes his throat. His voice is soft and Quinn almost has to strain her ears to hear him. "Yeah, I thought that too. I always pictured myself as the kind of guy who'd be with a girl for a shitload of time before he slept with her. But with Charlie... I guess it just happened. It was really weird. She kept hitting on me and I know it's just because I look different now, but she was there, you know? And I'm a teenage guy. And she wanted me. For the first time, I felt like somebody really wanted me physically, and honestly? It felt great. It didn't really matter that we didn't have some deep connection. I've always had that with you. It's not what I needed from her. And I think I wasn't ready before because I was so insecure about the way I looked."

Quinn purses her lips, deep in thought. It's a lot to take in. Over six weeks, so much seems to have changed. She's glad at least their friendship is still intense. "I think it's why I'm not ready for sex. In all honesty, I don't care that much about sex before marriage, but I just feel so... I have a tiny chest and guys are into tits, you know? And I know I don't wear sexy clothes. I just don't feel attractive."

When she looks into his eyes, she can see genuine wonder. "You're beautiful, Q. Your bone structure is wicked and your body is ripped. And I don't speak for all guys, but the chest thing doesn't bother me. Like girls saying size doesn't matter? It's kind of like that for me. But Charlie assured me I don't need to worry about my size, just saying," he grins cockily.

Quinn hits him with a pillow. "Asshole," she laughs. Then she blurts out what's been on her mind ever since she first saw him like this. "Can I touch you?"

He flushes and looks bewildered when Quinn realises what it sounds like. "I don't mean your dick!" she says hurriedly. "Like, your abs. You know. I just... I don't know why."

She really doesn't.

He shrugs and takes her hand, placing it on his stomach. She splays her fingers, over his rock hard abs, feeling them under her fingertips. She moves her hand to his chest and he sucks in a breath when her hand slides over his left nipple. She then slides her hand to his waist and back to his stomach. There's a kind of tension in the room that's foreign to both of them.

"You look really good, Tiago," Quinn finally says. "I bet the girls will be all over you at school, especially being captain of the soccer team and soccer being McKinley's new pride. Prepare to see your name written everywhere," she winks.

He laughs. "As if. Want some popcorn?"

She sighs dramatically. "Why do you tempt me so, oh noble sir Lopezelot?"

"Because I attempt to fatten you!" he booms, just as dramatically. "So no man shall lay a lustful eye upon you, oh my sweetest Quinnevere!"

They both burst out laughing. "Pizza and popcorn. I'll have to run that off tomorrow. Wanna join me on a run to the Lima Bean in the morning?"

"Sure thang," he winks saliciously. "Go pop that corn, woman."

She huffs. "I went to get the pizza. Where's your knightly chivalry? Do it yourself, or I'll tell your parents you lost your virginity to Mrs. Hagberg!"

He scrunches his face. "Gross, dude. Fine, I'll do it myself, princess."

"Know your place, supposedly humble servant," she winks, giving him a playful kick in the butt as he stands up from the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks so much for the many review and the support! They always make me want to write more. As for how I picture Santiago - I don't really picture him as a certain actor, so it's hard to explain. I tried to describe him more in this chapter, though :)**

* * *

Quinn tightens her ponytail and turns her head, inspecting her face in the mirror. She flashes a smile to herself and then exists the bathroom, Tiago waiting for her in the hall. As she emerges from the room, he sighs and rolls his eyes dramatically.

"Finally!" he exlaims. "I thought I was going to sit here for another decade."

Quinn gives him a smirk and as she walks past him, she replies: "Please, you were in the bathroom for a longer time than I was. Now get that lazy ass of yours moving."

"Abuse!" he complains as he stands up from the floor and goes down the stairs. "This is nothing but abuse!"

Quinn smiles. Maybe Tiago is a dork, but she can't imagine ever meeting someone who can make her laugh as much, and make her feel so loved, even if they're only friends. She knows that their friendship is special and she wants to cherish it. To this day, she's positive that meeting Santiago Lopez is the best thing that's ever happened to her.

Tiago's a very focused runner and seems to shut out the world around him. Quinn takes the opportunity to check him out thoroughly. He was wearing his hair longer before she left for California and she must admit that this new, shorter cut really suits him and makes him look a bit older and more mature. She trails her eyes over her face. Before she left, he'd already started shaving. Now he just trims and she finds herself kind of liking the stubble on his face. His facial features are still strong, yet delicate. His mesmerizing eyes are that familiar shade of chocolate milk, his hair and eyebrows jet black. He takes good care of his teeth, pearly white.

And his body. Wow. Nothing's familiar about that. Before, he was kind of scrawny. From a gangly, lanky teenager he had turned into a young adult with a ripped body. His skin was of course still beautifully tan. He already had strong legs from playing soccer, but those extra exercises gave him rock hard abs, a well-defined chest and toned biceps. The mere thought of him holding her in those strong arms made something inside of her flutter.

The feelings that overwhelm her when she looks at him are completely foreign to her. She had never felt like her happiness could depend so much on one person. Of course, she was distressed when they'd get in a fight before, but now it's more than that. She's nearly certain that her happiness depends on more than their getting along - it now depends on something else, but she can't quite put her finger on what it is exactly.

His sticky shirt is clinging to his body, drops of sweat running down his neck. She can see his muscles working beneath the thin fabric and feels an overwhelming need to run her hands over his body again. She feels herself fluster and decides that this has been enough torture.

She's barely looked away for a second when he turns around and yells: "Hurry up, slowpoke! Your man needs his coffee!"

She sprints to catch up to him and flashes him a cocky smile when they're running side by side. "My man, huh?" she winks. "I bet you'd like that. I bet you'd like it just fine if you were my man and I was your woman."

With those words, she runs past him, the Lima Bean already inside. She never notices how his entire face grows red and he's slightly out of breath, from much more than the run alone. He catches up to her and they stretch on the sidewalk before going inside.

"What's up?" Quinn asks as they walk over to the counter. "You're silent and slow all of a sudden."

He shakes his head. "Nothing," he answers. Then he smiles reassuringly. "I'm fine. You go claim our spot, I'll get the coffee. My treat, to welcome you home."

"Alright," she smiles. "You still remember my order, don't you?" she teases.

"You only drink it nearly every day," he rolls his eyes. "Seriously, like I'd forget. Especially since I've been coming here on my own, wallowing in devastating self-pity, ordering your double grande mocha to feel your spirit still with me."

Quinn frowns. "You should look into taking theater classes, Tiago. You certainly have the flair for it. Maybe you could ask Rachel Berry. I'm sure she'd be more than delighted to help you."

The (admittedly cute) girl behind the counter calls for this attention, but Tiago is too horrified by that thought to notice. Quinn pokes him in the side and then grabs his shoulders to direct him to the counter. She walks over to their regular booth as he places their orders, returning a few minutes later.

They're halfway through their drinks, catching up, when they hear a familiar voice. "Look who's back in town!"

Quinn groans. Sam and Mercedes are great friends, but she was kind of hoping to get to spend some more time with Santiago alone. She puts on a polite smile and invites them to their table. Sam and Santiago easily fall into soccer talk, so Quinn turns to Mercedes.

"So, it's really happening, huh?" she smiles, genuinely happy for her friend. "You guys look great together."

Mercedes smiles shyly. "Yeah, I guess it is. Things have been great so far. I really like him. We're taking it slow, though. But how was California? You gotta tell me all about it, girl! See any hot guys?"

Quinn is prepared for those kinds of questions, so she tells Mercedes about a few of the guys she met, exaggerating their interest in them.

"I'll be right back," Tiago suddenly says. He turns to Sam and stares at him in a way he obviously thinks is subtle. "I need to use the bathroom," he says slowly.

Sam frowns, but when Tiago jerks his head to the bathroom, he suddenly nods in understanding. "Uh... yeah... me too. Yeah."

They both stand up from the table and Quinn and Mercedes burst out laughing at the guys' strange behaviour. "I thought only girls did that," Mercedes sniggers.

When they come back, Santiago looks a bit down and Quinn decides to ask about it later. Sam looks like he's trying to teach a monkey to sing and keeps failing, but he just can't give up. Quinn's worried about her best friend, so she says that they have to go because she promised Santiago's mom they'd help her with lunch. It's not true, of course, but Tiago immediately understands Quinn's angle here.

They take a walk back home and Quinn takes her chance. "Tiago, are you okay?" she asks softly, wrapping an arm around his waist.

Automatically, he pulls her closer into him and kisses the top of her head. "I'm fine, Quinniepie," he smiles, using that nickname he only uses when he's feeling small and vulnerable.

"You calling me Quinniepie contradicts that statement," she points out. "But okay. Maybe you don't want to talk about it. I get that. If you do, you know I'm here for you, right?"

He looks at her and for the first time in years, she can't decipher the meaning behind the look in his eyes. It scares her a little.

"I would tell you if something was wrong and you could help me. It's just... you're not a person I can talk to about this. I don't want you to worry, though, I'll be fine."

That stings a little. They've always talked about everything with each other. She takes a deep breath and nods. "Is it... like... guy stuff?" she asks tentatively, having no idea what that would be.

"Yeah," he says, relieved. "Just some guy stuff. Sam's got my back. I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, princess."

That fluttering thing happens again. Of all his nicknames for her, 'princess' is one of her favourites.

When they get home, Quinn gets out Santiago's MacBook Pro while he's taking a shower. She types in the password (he's a man and not a subtle one) and turns to grab her purse to get out her camera when something on the screen catches her eyes. His web browser is still open, and the website's entitled _Mindy's Love Advice._ She frowns and giggles. This is so unlike Tiago. A simple message at the top sticks out.

_Mindy,_

_ I'm in love with my best friend, but I can't talk about it. I don't want to ruin the friendship, but I don't know for how much longer I can hide._

_SL_

Quinn quirks an eyebrow. _SL? No, he'd never put a message on a website like this._ She thinks back to his and Sam's strange behaviour from earlier. Going to the bathroom, looking weird when they get out... his problem is guy stuff, and Sam is his best guy friend. _What if he told Sam he was in love with him, but Sam obviously rejected him? Or maybe it wasn't the first time he told him, that was why Sam looked so desperate. Maybe Sam's told him before that he's not interested._

She nearly jumps out of her skin when she suddenly hears his voice. "Hey, whatcha doin'?"

She turns around, scared he'll be angry. But he's just drying his hair, a towel wrapped around his lower body, displaying that magnificent torso. He walks over to her - he still hasn't seen the screen.

"I was going to put my pictures on your computer so we could look at them," she explains. "But then I saw this."

She motions to the screen and he walks over to her. As soon as his eyes settle on the website, he visibly pales.

Quinn sighs. "Tiago, is there something you want to tell me?"

He coughs. "No, why? I probably accidentally clicked some ad when I was shutting it down yesterday."

"Look at this," she points to the message signed by 'SL'. "Is that you? Santiago Lopez? Are you in love with Sam?"

For a moment, he's stunned. Just when Quinn's convinced that she figured it out and wants to comfort him, he bursts out laughing. At first, it's a bit awkward. But he doesn't stop. He just keeps laughing, holding his stomach, doubling over. It's infectuous and soon, she's laughing as well.

When the laughter dies down, he ruffles her hair and says: "Of course I'm not in love with Sam, silly! He's straight and so am I. I didn't write that message, either. I'd just sign it _TL_, even if I wasted my time on a website like that. Now show me those pictures."

Quinn can feel in her gut that he's not being entirely honest with her, but she decides to let it go. If he hasn't told her what's on his mind by now, it must be that he's not ready for it. Instead, she takes her camera from her purse and they start loading the pictures on his computer.

Santiago sets the pace, clicking through the blurry ones hurriedly. Quinn notices how he lingers on those of their days at the beach. Days at the beach, pictures of her sister and her in their bikini. She feels herself growing annoyed at his transfixed eyes, his lingering hand. _God, like he's never seen a woman in a bikini before. Of course Fran's perfect, but he doesn't have to ogle her so blatantly. First he sleeps with my cousin, now he's looking at my sister like she'll be jerk-off material later. What _is _it with him?_

When they've gone through all of them, Quinn is silently pissed, but Tiago doesn't notice. He leans back and relaxes. "They're awesome pictures, Quinn. It looks like you had a really great time there. But damn, don't do that to me again, would you? Six weeks is one hell of a long time without my Quinnevere," he pouts.

And then he makes her smile just like that, all the annoyance gone with the wind. _How does he do that? What's going on with me?_


	4. Chapter 4

A few days later, Quinn and Santiago decide to go to the mall to get some nice prints of some of the pictures Quinn took in California. Santiago insists she's talented and knows how to work a camera, but Quinn just blushes and plays it off as her best friend trying to make her feel better about her sloppy work.

"When are you going to be back, dear?" Judy Fabray asks distractedly when Quinn tells her about her plans. She's flipping through a magazine absent-mindedly.

"I don't know," Quinn answers. "We'll probably have lunch there and Britt asked me to go with her to her dance classes, she needs some advice on a guy there."

"Oh, that sounds like fun," Judy smiles - not genuinely. Then she frowns. "Don't get too involved with the boy, though. It's no good."

Quinn sighs and curses mentally - and she hardly ever does that. "I promise I won't, mom. Anyway, you don't have to take me into account for lunch. I don't know about dinner yet, is it okay if I text you later?"

"Yes, yes," Judy says impatiently. "Now off you go, dear. We've been seeing each other's faces for six weeks straight, it's time to catch up with your friends now. You don't want them to resent you and fall from the top, honey. You need to get prom queen this year."

Quinn doesn't even grace that with an answer. She's already on her way to the door when she turns around and says: "I might be sleeping over at Brittany's tonight. Her brother Jesse read her a scary story and now she's scared of monsters under her bed. She's home alone tonight, so she'll probably ask me to stay over anyway."

"That's fine, dear," Judy replies, obviously distracted. "You go have fun."

###

"My mom couldn't be less interested in my life if she tried!" Quinn groans as she falls into Tiago's chair. He's putting on a new shirt, having spilled his coffee all over his other one. Quinn's too busy complaining to enjoy the view.

"Wanna switch?" Tiago frowns. "Trust me, it's no fun when your mother's all up in your business all the damn time. You'd think she'd realise I didn't get a girlfriend between yesterday and today if I've been at home ever since she last asked."

"At least she cares about you," Quinn sighs. "She's interested in you and she wants the best for you. My parents are making me feel like they'd rather I just stay out of their way and that six weeks as a family together was too much. It's not like I don't want to spend my entire day with them either, but it just hurts that I'm so much of a bother to them."

Tiago shakes his head. "I'll never understand how two people with that personality and attitude created someone like your super awesome awesomesauce amazing self," he says as he walks over to her, enveloping her in a warm hug. "I wish you could get out of there, you know. I think you'd be happier."

"They're still my parents," Quinn shrugs. "They're my family. I feel like I can't just give up on them, and where am I going to go? I don't want to impose on anyone."

"You know there's always a place for you here," Tiago smiles. "I'm sure my parents would love to have you over. They think you're perfect."

"No," Quinn says decisively. "I don't want to impose, I can't pay rent or anything, and I'd be sharing a room with someone, which I don't feel comfortable with because it's been their room for years. Besides, you're a dude. You need your space to your dude stuff with Sam or whoever."

Tiago sighs and grabs his bag. She follows him to the door. "What about college, though?" he asks as they're going down the stairs. "I mean, didn't we always say we'd share a flat if we got into the same university?"

"Yeah... but that's different. It's a flat, not a room. And we'd both be paying. I don't want to live off of someone else just because my parents neglect me. I'll deal."

"If you say so," Tiago shrugs. "But you know the ladder's behind the shed and you know my window's always open for you," he smiles.

###

They're sitting in the food court, having a sandwich for lunch and looking over the prints when they recognise a very familiar voice.

"If it isn't the Siamese twins! Are you two even _able_ to be apart?"

They turn around simultaneously, grinning like idiots. "Ms Holliday!" Quinn is the first to shriek out.

Holly Holliday chuckles. "Do you mind if I join you? I'm supposed to meet Will Schuester here but he just let me know he missed his bus."

"Sure, no problem!" Tiago pulls back a chair for her.

"So, fancy seeing you here. My two favourite kids out of my bunch of favourite kids!" she exclaims. "And, as always, together. I dread the day they'll have to surgically remove you!" she jokes.

"As a matter of fact, I just got back from six weeks of California with my family - Tiago here in Ohio, obviously. They still don't know we're best friends."

Holly gasps in exaggerated shock. "And you're still _breathing?_" she asks in a dramatic whisper. "The eighth world wonder!"

"Barely," Tiago admits. "What brings you back to Ohio? Please tell me Mr Compton's ill!"

Patrick Compton, the science teacher, is Tiago's least favourite one. Tiago's unbelievably bad at everything science and Compton is unbelievably impatient with him.

"You shouldn't talk about your teachers like that!" Holly mockingly berates him. "But between you and me - Patrick's not my favourite either."

"So who is it, then?" Quinn asks. "Must be pretty serious if they're missing the start of the school year."

"I'm not here to sub for anyone," Holly smiles. "Mrs. Faraday moved to Akron with her husband for his job. Will Schuester suggested me to replace her and voila, I'm the new English teacher - permanently," she grins.

"That's awesome!" Quinn squeals. "Are you going to be co-director of Glee?"

"I'll have to discuss it with Will, but I'd love to be in Glee club again with you guys."

Quinn is genuinely so happy to have Ms Holliday back. She subbed at McKinley for Spanish and then later for sex ed the year before. She's the first person she came out to, even before she talked to Tiago. She'd wanted to talk to a woman, someone older and wiser. Ms Holliday had been amazing. She made Quinn feel safe and valued. And okay, maybe she'd had a little tiny crush on her, but so did everyone.

They're still catching up with Holly when Mr Schue arrives. He joins them at their table and Tiago immediately asks him about the deal with Glee and Holly being back. He immediately agrees it's a great idea.

Quinn just knows next year is going to be better than any year they've ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, they do inspire me to write more!**

**bbquinntiago - Quinn is quite sure she's bi, as is said in the second chapter :)**

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Quinn is lying on a lounge chair in the Lopez' beautifully kept backyard. She's thoroughly enjoying the sun caressing her pale skin as Emeli Sandé's album plays through her iPod. Her sunglasses allow her to check Tiago out freely, no constraints. As always, he's completely engrossed in the book he's reading. Quinn finds his concentration so sexy. She also loves seeing the different emotions play on his face, almost able to follow the story herself.

She's rudely awakened from her daydreams when Alessandra runs toward her, squealing "Quinnie!", and jumps on top of her. For a second, Quinn winces in pain, but she recovers quickly. She's used to this little cannonball jumping her unexpectedly. She grins and says: "Hello to you too, Lessa."

Tiago pushes his sunglasses down his nose so he can give Alessandra a stern look. "What did I tell you about storming Quinn?" He reprimands his little sister, obviously not having been completely lost in his story.

Alessandra pouts and replies in a monotonous voice: "To stop it before I kill her and we have to find someplace nice to bury her and sing a song for her trying not to cry and then be super sad every day for the rest ouf our lives, which is a very very long time because we're still very very young."

"That's right," Tiago confirms with a decisive nod. "And let me tell you, young lady, if I catch you doing it one more time, or I hear it from Quinn, I can promise you that you will regret it."

Alessandra rolls her eyes in true Lopez fashion. "Stop pretending you're papi, Tiago."

Quinn giggles at the interaction and she finds herself missing her sister. They've never been as close or as goofy together as Santiago and Alessandra, but she misses sharing the difficulty of her home life with someone who grew up with her parents and knows all about it.

"Now tell me what you've been up to, Lessa. I haven't seen you in six weeks and then I come home and you're out all day seeing friends! Or are you just seeing a special friend?" Quinn winks.

Alessa blushes and casts her eyes down, suddenly very interested in her small hands. Then she frowns and glares at Tiago. "Santiago Manuel Lopez, what have you been telling Quinn?"

"Nothing!" Tiago says, holding his hands up. "You brought this one on yourself, kiddo. Quinn's just that smart. It's why she's going to Yale after high school."

"If I get in," Quinn points out. She continues the conversation with his sister before they can get too carried away in the by now familiar bickering on the subject. "So I take it there is someone, huh? What's his name? Do I know him?"

"You sound like mami," Alessandra huffs. "But I guess I can tell you. Tiago knows already because he's been reading my diary, but don't tell mami and papi, okay?"

"Hey, I did not read your diary! You're just not very subtle and I happen to have excellent knowledge of-"

"Shut it, Tiago," Quinn teases. "I wanna know who managed to get a hold of Lessa Lopez' heart. Tell me, who's your special someone?"

"She's not special," Alessandra shrugs. "She's extr-extro-extronadiry."

"She means extraordinary," Tiago points out.

"I know that," Quinn rolls her eyes, then turning back to the little girl in her lap. "Oh, a girl, huh? That's awesome! So what's the name of your extraordinary someone?"

"Her name's Bridget but I call her River 'cause everyone else calls her Bridge and she don't like it so I said Bridge is nice 'cause it's like a bridge over a river and it means you can go somewhere you couldn't go without the bridge so now I just call her River but she don't like it when anyone else does."

"Doesn't," Tiago corrects her, probably more out of habit than anything else.

Both girls glare at him and he pretends to be scared to death.

"Maybe you should give us some girl time, Santiago," Quinn suggest in a tone that tells Tiago he better do as she asks. He pouts and gathers his stuff, walking back to the house like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Okay, so tell me what River's like."

"She's really really pretty and she's got blue eyes and blonde hair and her skin is really white and I tell her all the time she's gotta walk in the sun more but she don't like the sun much. She plays the drums and she's also a really good dancer and she's really good at maths but she kinda sucks at English and stuff and she don't like reading much. She moved here in the beginning of the summer and she'll be going to school with me and I'll tell everyone to lay off her or I'm gonna ends them."

Quinn laughs. She knows Lessa totally heard that from Tiago. "Well, she sounds very nice. Does she come over to your house sometimes?"

"She did when you were in California because Tiago was just sulking in his room all the time and counting the days until you came back, he even made a calendar and put it on his wall and it's like in the movies when prisoners draw stripes on the wall or something to count down the days? But now you're back and River and I don't have no private time no more and she doesn't have a brother or a sister and her Granny takes care of her but her Granny's pretty much deaf so she don't hear what we say."

"Tiago and I could go to my place sometimes," Quinn suggest. "That way, River can come here again. I'm sure she likes getting out of her house."

"But you don't like it at your place," Lessa says, frowning deeply. "You're always super happy when you get here and you get super sad when you gotta get back."

"You noticed, huh?" Quinn asks awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

"Of course I did, silly," Lessa rolls her eyes. "It's hard not to notice. But I want you to meet River. Tell me if she's an honest person. Tiago says he can read people or something and he says she's alright but he's a guy so how does he know?"

"I'd love to meet River," Quinn smiles.

Then Tiago comes outside again and walks over to the barbecue. Quinn is startled to see it's already 6 PM. She's so glad she doesn't have to go home tonight. "Let's go and help your brother," Quinn says, taking Alessa under the shoulders and putting her on the ground.

"You go help him, I don't like seeing the raw meat. River don't eat any meat. I think maybe I shouldn't either. It's not nice for the animals, she says."

"Well, if you don't want to eat meat anymore, that's your choice," Quinn says earnestly. "But think about it - no more bacon. Can you do that?"

Alessandra sighs. "Not all of us are addicted to pigs. Maybe that's why you keep staring at Tiago like you're gonna eat him, though. It'd make sense." And with a shrug, she leaves Quinn stunned and is on her way inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! I'm really enjoying writing this story. If you have any requests for it, do let me know! Ask me on tumblr (ffskalice), twitter (skalicethomas) or leave me a review/message here!**

**I've also made a small change - the story takes place in the summer between junior and senior year, instead of between sophomore and junior year. So basically, they're just one year older. It doesn't change much, but I thought I'd let you know :) Read, review, but most importantly: enjoy!**

* * *

Quinn gathers herself and takes a moment to appreciate the sight of Santiago setting up the barbecue. She's always liked how he tends to take the initiave, but his decisiveness has never quite made her feel this way. Whatever this way is. She sighs and closes her eyes, trying to shake out of this thing she's been in ever since she got back home. Why is she suddenly feeling so many things she doesn't understand? She's known him from ages. He's still that same old Santiago, just in another body. Is she really that superficial? She never thought of herself that way.

He turns around and smiles at her, bearing the teeth she knows so well. It's almost as if his teeth and his eyes the only things about him that haven't changed. Whereas the rest of his body is bulkier, his face is more defined now. His jawline is sharp and the stubble looks so good on him. It's no wonder Charhead wanted to get into his pants. Her face immediately grows hot at that thought. What is wrong with me?

She frowns in surprise when Santiago puts everything down and walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her. She's always felt safe when he held her, and that comforting smell has always been there, but somehow it's all so different now. She hugs him back, burying her face in his neck. She stopped wondering about his random hugs ages ago - sometimes he does it out of nowhere. Finally, he takes a step back, his arms still around her back. "I really missed you when you were gone, Quinn. Sometimes I'd forget and I'd be worried that you weren't waiting in my room, and then I remembered. Don't tell anyone about this - I'm about to get a rep that can't be ruined -" he gives her a wink to know that he's joking, but probably only slightly, "but I'm... irritated without you. Like something's missing and I need it to be right in order to... function, I guess."

Quinn squints her eyes against the late afternoon sun and smiles. "You been secretly reading romance novels again, Tiago?" she teases, but because she knows he might take this the wrong way - sometimes he acts like a girl on her period, she quickly adds: "Yeah, I missed you too. It was fun and it was amazing to see my sister again, but I kept wanting you there. I'd see something weird and I sending you a picture or calling you just wasn't enough."

"I guess we'll have to spend the rest of our lives together, then," he winks at her. "I gotta get back to the barbecue, though. Maybe you can go inside, see if mom needs some help? She might need help just getting Lessa to not ruin or break stuff."

"Yeah, sure. See you in a bit."

Quinn goes inside, thinking about how this feels so much more like her home than the house her parents live in. She's spent most of her childhood here, and her parents don't even know. She always manages to make up an excuse. She's sure that when asked ten years from now, she'd mention this place as her home. It's the place she has always come to when things got too heavy at home, especially when Fran got together with her boyfriend and she spent all her time there. The Fabray household is no place for a girl alone.

She enters the kitchen and takes an apron off the hook behind the door. "Hi, Maribel," she greets Tiago's mom. Maribel Lopez is without a doubt her second mother, and the mother figure in her life. When she got her period for the first time, Maribel was the one she asked advice to. Maribel was the one who took her shopping for her first bra. The fact that Judy Fabray had never even noticed that her daughter had never had questions about these typical teenage girl issues was something Quinn preferred to forget about.

"Mija!" Maribel exclaims, happiness lacing her voice. "Thank God. The little one is wreaking havoc - she's got another sleepover tonight. I swear that girl has more friends than there are names in the phonebook. Could you drive her? She knows the way and her bag's in my car, you know where the keys are."

"Sure," Quinn smiles. She loves how Maribel treats her as both an adult and a family member, trusting her and giving her responsibility with their expensive Lexus. "I'll be back before dinner."

"Okay, thank you so much, dear! Guillermo better be home by the time dinner's ready. Then again, with Santiago setting up the barbecue that should be no problem. The boy likes to think he's smooth, but he can be so clumsy! I don't know where he gets it."

"I hope for the sake of his life Guillermo will be back in time. And Tiago... I haven't had the heart to tell him not to try anything too complicated without reading a manual, he just looks so proud when he's slaved away at something for hours."

Quinn scoops up Alessandra and turns to go outside when Maribel stops her with a hand on her arm. She looks into Quinn's eyes and she can see that her best friend's mother is serious. "Is Santiago doing alright? I saw him hugging you out of nowhere a few minutes ago. He only gets randomly affectionate when he's not feeling great."

"Yeah, he's fine," Quinn reassures her. "He just missed me when I was gone and he had to get over his macho self before he could tell me how much."

"Quinnie! We gotta leave! River won't be too happy if I'm late, she don't like people who are late!"

"Doesn't," Guillermo corrects his daughter as he enters the room. Because she's standing closer to him, he kisses Quinn on the cheek before going over to his wife.

"You are one lucky man, Guillermo Denis Lopez. I was just telling Quinn here..."

Quinn doesn't hear the rest of it because Lessa is growing very impatient and heavy in her arms. She carried her over to the car and brings her to her friend's house. "Maybe I can meet her now?" Quinn suggests, her eyes focused on the road.

"Nu-uh," Alessandra shakes her head. "You gotta get back in time for dinner and I want you to meet her properly. She's special and you need time to see just how special."

"Okay," Quinn chuckles. When they arrive, she waits in the car as Lessa skips her way to the front door. When a tall blonde woman opens the door, Quinn figures it must be River's mother. She waves and then turns her car, back to the Lopez residence. On her way over, she knows for a fact she might as well be called Quinn Lopez. They are her family. And she wouldn't change it for all the money in the world.

When she gets back to Tiago's house, she can hear voices coming from the backyard. She drops the car keys in the bowl and makes her way through the house, taking a seat next to Tiago. As she'd expected, Guillermo is handling the barbecue by now.

"Thanks again for dropping her off, Quinn," Maribel says as she sits down. "I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes. What do you want to drink?"

"Ask beer," Tiago stage-whispers. "And share."

Quinn rolls her eyes and asks for a glass of coke instead. Maribel gets up to fetch it for her as Guillermo brings the first plate of meat to the table. Tiago, sitting closest to him, takes it from him. Quinn stares at the bacon intently, drool forming in her mouth. Tiago takes his sweet time selecting his meat and Quinn's breath hitches in her throat when his fork pricks the back. Her body immediately reacts, slapping his hand away.

"Ow!" Tiago whines. "What was that for?" he pouts.

"Santiago Lopez, I didn't pop you out stupid. You know not to mess with Quinn Fabray and her bacon, especially if you're expecting an invite to their wedding," Maribel jokingly scoffs.

Guillermo joins them at the table and adds his own two cents. "You certainly didn't pop him out stupid, sweetheart. Do you remember their first day of preschool? This little tiger immediately had his eye on the prettiest girl in the room and offered his help to her even though he couldn't colour for shit."

"Language!" Maribel says, more out of habit with Lessa around usually than anything else. "But yes, do I remember! That's the day I lost him to you," she sighs dramatically, proving where Tiago got the taste from. Even though they'd all heard the story countless times, nobody minded hearing it again. So Maribel Rosa Lopez once again recounted the story of how her son and his best friend, by now as good as her daughter, had met...

Flasback

"You will be fine, Tiago," Maribel says, trying to convince her baby boy to get out of the car. "You'll meet lots of nice friends. I bet you won't want to go home at the end of the day!"

"I - d-don't w-wanna-a-a," Tiago sobs. "I wantsa stay with mommy. I wan' mommy. No school. Mommy."

Maribel sighs, running a hand through her hair. "You have to, baby. Come, take my hand. When I come to pick you up we'll have ice cream, okay?"

Tiago shakes his head and crosses his arms. "No ice scream. Mommy."

"What if I told you they have awesome cars? Another mommy told me that they have a lot of toy cars, and they have mats with roads printed on them!"

For a minute, Tiago stops sobbing and looks up at his mom. "Red cars? Lotsa red cars?"

Maribel sighs in relief. "Yes, baby. A lot of red cars. And you can play with them all you like!"

"Owkay," he says softly. "But mommy go with me?"

A few minutes later, Maribel Lopez stands in the doorframe of her son's kindergarten room. She's immediately approached by the teacher, Mrs Evans. Tiago is clinging to her hand one minute, but gone with the speed of light the next. She frowns, surprised he let go of her so easily. Her eyes search the room and she smirks to herself when she can see him talking to a pretty little blonde girl who's sitting all by herself. "Excuse me for one minute," Maribel says to the teacher, her throat blocked for a second.

She walks closer to Tiago and the girl she doesn't recognise to hear what they're saying.

"'cuse me. I'm Tiago. I can help you. I like colouring."

Maribel quirks an eyebrow. Tiago hates colouring - he doesn't have the patience for it.

The girl nods slowly. She looks very serious, especially for her age. "I'm Quinn. I don't know what colour I want the doggie to be. Brown or pink."

"I think brown's nicer," Tiago offers. "But pink's nice too."

Maribel quirks another eyebrow. Tiago hates pink - it's too girly to his liking.

Another boy joins them. "You should colour it blue! Brown's stupid."

"Then you are stupid because you look brown. Now go away. Quinn is my friend." Tiago says angrily, glaring at the boy as he walks closer to him.

Maribel is just about to tell her son to be polite when a woman takes the other boy's hand and says: "Manners, Noah."

Maribel has to swallow her tears as Tiago sits down next to Quinn and helps her colour the puppy patiently. Apparently, Quinn did end up choosing for pink. And by some kind of miracle, Tiago hadn't protested. She decides to leave them to it. She greets Mrs. Evans before she leaves the room. Only when she's in her car, she lets the tears flow freely. She'd expected to feel strange at leaving her baby boy in a room full of stranger, but it affected her so much more than she'd expected. When she finally feels like she can talk without her voice trembling, she drives home to call her husband. "Guillermo, history is repeating itself," she smiles, even though she knows he can't see it through the phone. "I think Tiago might have met his future wife already."

That night, Quinn 'Fabway' is all he can talk about. And it goes on for the rest of the week - and the rest of the month. After that, he has other stories to tell, but Quinn is always involved somehow. And she never stops being involved in his adventures.

Quinn blushes every time she hears that story, but now it grows even deeper. Previously, she would always laugh away the part about being his future wife. But now, it feels different. Suddenly, the idea doesn't sound all that strange anymore.

They fill the rest of their meal with smalltalk and sharing stories. Tiago and Quinn clear up the table and load the dishwasher before making their way upstairs. After watching a few episodes of Criminal Minds, they decide to go to bed. When they've settled down in their usual positions, Tiago continues the discussion they always have. "I still think JJ is cuter. And Garcia."

"That's just because you like blondes. I like them more badass anyway. Like Pr-Derek. Derek is badass. And Hotch isn't ugly, but he's too skinny."

"Quinn, I know you want to say Prentiss. You don't have to correct yourself around me," he says softly. "I really hope you know that."

She blushes and knows he can see it in the faint dark. "Yeah. I'm used to it, though. And I do think Derek's hot, but I like it when he's got more hair instead of being completely bald. Not a fan of the strong eyebrows either."

They continue the discussion they've had a thousand times before before falling into a comfortable silence. She thinks back to the words she said to him earlier - that's just because you like blondes. He does; he always likes the blondes. But Charhead isn't blonde.

Quinn takes Tiago's hand in hers and from the way he looks at her, she can tell he was about to fall asleep. She swallows, her mouth dry. She doesn't look at him when she asks: "What was it like?"

"What was what like?" he yawns.

"Charhead. Sleeping with her. What was it like?" she asks softly, still avoiding his eyes.

"Oh." He sounds genuinely surprised. "Uhm... I don't know. Good, I think? I don't exactly have anyone to compare her to. It was good. I... you know. I enjoyed it, a lot. She was patient and she was nice, she didn't make fun of me or anything. It was good. Really good."

"Would you sleep with her again if you ran into her?" Quinn asks, her voice small, not knowing why the idea bothers her so much.

"Honestly?" Tiago asks. "I don't think so. We were both horny at the time and the be completely honest, I did want to lose my virginity because I'm at an age where any girlfriend I'll get might have already had sex and I don't really like the idea of being the only virgin in the relationship. But now... no, I don't think so. She's still hot as fuck, but yeah. It's Charhead, you know? It is kind of weird, but I don't regret it."

"Okay." A long silence falls again, but they both sense that the conversation isn't over. "Was she your first kiss too?"

Tiago seems to be mulling over his thoughts before he answers. "Yes. But that was two or years ago."

Quinn sits up and switches on the light, hurt flashing through her. "You kissed her that long ago? Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"Because it didn't mean anything! I didn't feel anything! I kissed her and didn't tell you because you kissed Finn and you didn't tell me!"

"What? I never kissed Finn! Where did you get that idea?"

"He was bragging about it. Said you'd kissed a couple of time but you didn't want him to tell anyone. I told him he was an asshole for bragging when you'd ask him to keep quiet about him, but dammit, Quinn - I was hurt, yeah? You're my best friend and you didn't tell me about your first kiss."

Quinn falls back on her pillow. "Wow. I didn't. He lied. I mean, he was trying to get with me then, because I'm Captain of the Cheerios and he's the star quarterback and he thought it was right, but I never kissed him. He tried, but I rejected him."

"Oh my god." They're both surprised at the turn of events. "We're best friends, Quinn. We talk so much. How did this happen? How did Finn fucking Hudson manage for us to have secrets?"

"I don't know," Quinn shakes her head. "But you do seem to be having all your firsts with Charhead, which is weirding me out, honestly. I've... I've never been kissed."

She can almost hear Tiago swallowing before he whispers: "Do you want to be? Like, now?"


	7. Chapter 7

Quinn's heart is beating wildly in her chest. Every fibre of her being is screaming at her to say 'yes'. Santiago Manuel Lopez is her best friend in the whole wide world and she knows a kiss wouldn't screw them up, so why not? Her voice trembles slightly as she whispers her consent.

She can make out his silhouette in the semi-darkness, coming closer to her. Her breath catches in her throat when she can feel his hand cupping her cheek and sense him leaning into her, until finally, his lips rest on hers. The moment their lips make contact, it's as if her entire body is on fire. His lips are soft, and he moves them against hers gently. Her palms are sweaty. She has no idea what to do, or how to do this, so she decides to just go along with her intuition. She moves her lips against his as well, exploring, nipping. He reciprocates and somehow, before she even realises it, her tongue is licking his lower lip.

They shift slightly and he lands on top of her. Their noses work alongside each other as she feels the tip of her tongue against his. Only a few seconds later, their tongues are tentatively exploring the other, tasting, twirling, sliding. He's cupping her face with two hands now and she has hers on his naked back, pulling him in closer. The kiss intensifies before it ends organically.

They're both panting lightly. Tiago rolls onto his back and they're both staring at the ceiling. Quinn can feel every hair on her body standing straight, her body is tingling, her lips moist. She doesn't want to lick away the imprint of his. They're both silent for a while and Quinn prays that she wasn't wrong, that things won't be weird between them.

But then he takes her hand and she can feel the smile in his voice when he says: "You're a really good kisser, Lucy Quinn Fabray."

"So are you," Quinn answers before she realises what she's saying. Then she decides that she might as well be fully honest. It feels like a good time for it. "Thank you. You're the best person I can imagine to have a first kiss with."

She can't see his face, but she knows him well enough by now to be sure that he's blushing. She turns her back to him and scoots closer, he wraps his arms around her, and everything is as it was before - at least, that's what she wants to believe. But somehow, she knows that everything is different now. Her gut tells her it's a good kind of different, though - the kind of different she wants.

00-0000-00

Quinn and Tiago are in the garden, relaxing on the lounge chairs. He's reading another book already - his bedroom could easily be mistaken for a small library, and he still goes to the public library to get others. Quinn is enjoying the warmth of the sun carressing her body, her sunglasses perched on her nose.

She can feel someone staring at her, though, and it makes her feel uneasy. Some cousins of Tiago's are over and even though she's sure they're all nice people, it doesn't mean that she welcomes that kind of attention from them. Luckily for her, they leave a little while later. It's just her and Tiago now. Strangely enough, the feeling hasn't gone away. When she turns on her back and unties the strings of her top to avoid tan lines, the feeling intensifies. She frowns and turns her head, unexpectedly enough to catch Tiago's wandering eyes. He quickly snaps them back to his book, but his face is flushed and she knows enough. For reasons she begins to understand more and more every day, butterflies seem to be swirling in her stomach and her body seems to be under high voltage.

She decides to break the silence and maybe make him feel more at ease. "What movie are we watching tonight, Tiago?"

He clears his throat. "Whatever you want to see is fine."

She rolls her eyes. "I always have to choose everything! What if I want to see The Hunger Games, even though you've seen it?"

"Then we're watching it," he smiles. "I liked it, so I don't mind. But I promise that next time, I'll choose. Okay?"

Quinn smiles. "Fine."

00-0000-00

"If it isn't the Siamese twins once again!" The voice sounds very familiar. Tiago and Quinn, who have come out of the theatre, turn around in surprise.

"Miss Holliday! We didn't see you in there," Quinn says, quirking an eyebrow.

"I've told you before to call me Holly! And I was a bit late so I had to sneak in. I actually hoped my date hadn't stood me up, but a girl can only hope for so long! Good thing I've seen it before."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tiago says genuinely. "What kind of guy would stand you up?" he frowns. "They weren't worth it in the first place."

"Aww, thank you! If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to charm me. And I guess that kind of guy would be the one who's in love with someone else. It's not a big deal. So tell me, kids, are you looking forward to going back to school in a week?"

They start walking to the parking lot. "I don't know," Quinn says. "I'm looking forward to the classes and Glee and cheerleading, but the jocks and the cheerleaders, not so much."

"Hey," Tiago huffs mockingly. "You do realise I'm going to be a jock, right? I'm totally going to claim you, too. I'm not having any of my team mates trying to go out with you. I don't know a single one that deserves you."

"Are you going to be playing for the Titans?" Holly asks curiously. "I thought you were as good as sure to be made soccer captain. At least, that's what was said in the teacher's lounge."

Tiago tells her about the changes regarding sports at school and Quinn hovers a bit, proud of her best friend for his new status and happy to hear him talking about his sports so enthusiastically. She knows he doesn't mean to insult his team members - he genuinely thinks no guy (or girl) is ever good enough and deserving of Quinn. Truth be told, she does think it's kind of cute.

They say goodbye when they reach their cars and follow Holly off the parking lot. Quinn quirks an eyebrow when they keep following her, all the way to Tiago's place. Two blocks away from the Lopez home base, Holly pulls into a parking lot before an old building that she knows holds apartments. Tiago must be following her line of thinking, because he pulls over and opens his window.

"Are you living here, miss - Holly?" he asks, catching himself just in time.

"I bought this, but I have to move most of my stuff tomorrow. Right now there's just a couch and the necessary things."

"I live just two blocks away!" Tiago smiles. "Maybe we can help you move your stuff tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure how ethical that is, but screw that, the help would be more than welcome! See you guys at 9AM?"

"Sounds great," Quinn says enthusiastically, looking forward to spending the day with her favourite teacher. "See you tomorrow, Holly!"

She waves with a smile and then turns to enter the building. Tiago continues the drive to his place. "I'm really glad she's back," Tiago says. "She's so much fun. I hope she'll be helping out with Glee, too. She was way better than Mr Schue."

"I hope so too," Quinn admits. "I wonder if he was her date. I think they kind of had a thing last year. By the way - I have to go spend the weekend at home. It's my Dad's birthday tomorrow and he kind of insists on it."

"Yeah, sure," Tiago says, but pouting. He pulls up in the driveway. "I'm not sure how I will survive with this heavy sadness falling on me, but I shall try."

She swats his arm playfully and laughs. "You'll be fine. You were fine without me for six weeks!"

"Who says I was fine?" he mumbles, probably not intending for her to hear it, but she does. By the time she's over her surprise and ready to ask him what that was about, he's already out of the car and searching for his keys. She shrugs. It was probably nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

As Quinn pulls into the driveway, her phone buzzes. She smiles, fully expecting some dorky text from her best friend. It's his way to try to make her feel better. She immediately grabs her phone and opens the message, which is proving her right.

**TIAGO**

**You can do this, Quinnevere. You just stay out of their way and they'll be fine. Btw, totally forgot we're having this family dinner in Kentucky tonight so I won't be at home but you know where the keys are if you have to escape.**

Quinn grunts in frustration. She had been hoping to sneak out and at least spend the night at his place, waking up at the crack of down to go back home and pretend she's been in her room all night. She shrugs. It's only until Monday and she can see him again. Then they can spend the last week of Summer together, buying stuff they don't really need and whining about school which they don't really hate as much as they pretend to.

The house is silent when she opens the door and she reckons that her father is probably still at work and her mother is at a meeting with some club she doesn't genuinely care about. She doesn't mind - it gives her time to adjust and practise the lies. She goes up to her room and realises she hasn't slept here since the end of the school year. She's been staying over at Tiago's place ever since they got back.

The emptiness in the house and the coldness are sadly familiar to her. It's larger than Tiago's house, there are more rooms, their furniture is more expensive and the lay-out is better planned, but she still loves the Lopez home so much more. At least, they have a real home people live in and dream in and laugh in and hurt in. A home where people grow up in and look back on with a smile.

As soon as she enters her room, she makes a beeline for the windows, opening them to let in some fresh air. She grabs a tissue and starts dusting the surfaces that haven't been touched in weeks. Marilyn, the housekeeper, was probably too busy cleaning downstairs on Wednesday. She doesn't have her own set of keys and wasn't allowed in the house during their absence. Despite working for them for eight years, her parents still don't trust her. Quinn thinks that's pretty sad.

When she's done dusting off, she goes to the bathroom to have a shower and get ready for her father's birthday dinner. She makes sure to put on a nice dress and earrings. He insists on the women of the house wearing dresses on special occasions. After that, she settles in the cushions neatly arranged in her bay window with a book until her parents come home.

An hour and a half later, they're sitting at the dinner table. Quinn had expected them to go out to an expensive restaurant, like they always do. Sonya, the cook, had surprised her earlier. The atmosphere around the dinner table is tense, to say the least.

Quinn can feel that something is wrong. She can see it in the scared looks her mother keeps throwing her father, the stoic expression of her father, the eerie silence. She knows that her parents both know what's going on, but she doesn't, and it's getting on her nerves. Her mother hasn't even asked her about Brittany, her father hasn't even asked her about Dr. Pierce.

Finally, Quinn can't take it anymore. She decides to break the silence and clears her throat. "Happy birthday, daddy," she says softly, with as much of a smile as she can muster. She jumps up when her father bangs his fist on the table and sneers at her. "Drop the act, Lucy."

Quinn winces. They never use her first name. She doesn't know what to do - doesn't know what she did wrong, but is too afraid to ask. Her father is seething now, almost as if her innocent question unleashed all the anger inside of him.

"Don't think I don't know about you and that filthy _spic_ boy!" he nearly spits, his face thwarted in disgust.

Quinn pales. Her heart starts beating wilder in her chest. How can he know? she wonders. I haven't told anyone about the kiss and neither has Tiago, I'm sure he never would!

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" her father bites. "Lying to your parents! Honour thy father and thy mother, Lucy Quinn Fabray. The shame! You made a fool of me! I had to hear from Dr Pierce that you hardly ever visit his house, when you have told me you spend most of your time there! Then he tells me that his daughter tells him that you spend most of your time with the spic! That you are friends! Have you forgotten what we are and what you are? Have you forgotten your place? Has that rotten family ruined your morals?"

Quinn's voice is shaking and she's looking at her hands when she replies. "They're not rotten, father." She's scared when she sees her father's eyes flare up in anger and knows that what she is doing is dangerous, but she's sick of it. She's sick of her best friend being insulted over and over again. She has to do this, so she swallows and continues. "The Lopez family is kind, and good, and carries out christian values in a way you could never dream of."

For a moment, her father is speechless. Quinn's voice is quiet, but she has never spoken up to him before. Neither have Fran or Judy. None of his women have ever talked back to him. When he replies, a sudden false calmness falls over him. "You're a pathetic little liar, Lucy Quinn. You cannot be mine. Your mother will be punished appropriately, because you are most certain not a Fabray. You will get out of my house right this instant. You are not to enjoy the family dinner. I never want to see you again, you unworthy piece of filth!"

Quinn is frozen, shocked. She's not stupid - she's always known that her father wouldn't take her friendship with Tiago very well, but she had never expected this. When the words sink in, all that matters to her is to hurt her father in every way she can. She stands up from the table and looks straight into his eyes, towering over him. "Santiago Lopez is the best thing that ever happened to me. He has been my friends for years and you have been too self-absorbed to ever notice! He is twice the man you could ever be. I love him."

"He's your lover?" Russell Fabray hisses, and before Quinn can reply or Judy can stop him, he strikes her across the cheek. The red imprint of his hand is visibly, the blow lands hard. Tears drip down Quinn's cheek, but she hardens her resolve.

"As a matter of fact, he is. I'm in love with Santiago Manuel Lopez and he loves me more than you ever will. I've had it with your useless rules, father. Yes, I call you father, as I am sure that I am yours because I inherited your cowardice and your tendency to hide the only feelings that really matter. And I will sleep with him, father. Before marriage, any way he likes me!" She's on a roll, her voice now shaking with anger. "I will give all of myself to him and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Quinn is shocked at her own words, but doesn't back down. She knows she's not lying. Finally, she realises that all those confusing feelings are simply love. She's simply in love with Tiago Lopez.

"Get out!" Russell bellows. "And never let me see you again, you worthless little shit!" He stands up to strike her again, but Quinn is already running to the hallway.

She runs upstairs to gather some of her belongings, her phone and her car keys. When she turns around to leave her bedroom, she jumps up in surprise when she sees her mother. She doesn't know what to say. This woman has never protected her, never stood up for her. Quinn isn't sure what she even means to Judy Fabray.

"Does he make you happy?" Judy asks softly, with tears in her eyes. "Does he make you feel beautiful, Quinnie?"

Quinn nods. "He makes me feel alive, mom. He makes me feel like I can be whoever I want to be and he'll love me. He makes me feel like I'm the prettiest girl in the world, but even if I wasn't, he would still love me just as much. I want to spend my life with him. He makes me so happy."

Judy nods and tries to wipe away a tear, but it's useless. "Then go and be happy with him, Quinnie. You deserve better than this life. You deserve to be loved for who you are. I will get through this knowing that my baby girl is happy."

Then, to her surprise, Judy walks over and wraps Quinn in a hug. They have never done this. Maribel Lopez is the mother who hugs her, not Judy Fabray. She hugs her mother back. Finally, she lets go and simply asks: "Why?"

Judy shakes her head. "I'm afraid I can't explain, Quinnie. I will be thinking of you, baby. I know I have failed you, but I love you. I'm your mother and I love you."

Tears are now rolling over Quinn's cheeks as well. She nods. "I have to go now. You should go as well."

Judy shakes her head. "I can't."

###

Quinn is on her way to the Lopez house, her car radio at maximum volume, tears blurring her vision, thoughts racing through her head. When she arrives at the empty driveway, she remembers that they're not home.

Shit, she thinks to herself, banging her head against the steering wheel, sobs wrecking through her body. She can get in, but she doesn't want to be alone. She forces herself to think rationally. _Okay, last time I felt desperate, who did I go to? Tiago, obviously. Last time Tiago wasn't there, who did I talk to? Tiago is always there. Have I ever not been able to talk to him? Yeah, when I realised I like both guys and girls. Who did I talk to? Holly._

Holly Holliday. Of course.

Quinn immediately turns her car and drives back two blocks. She gets out and rings the doorbell, hoping her teacher will be home on a Friday night. She does think she remembers that she said something about having a quiet night in when they were helping her move on Wednesday.

"Hey, who's there? This thing doesn't have a camera," Holly's voice sounds.

Quinn tries to keep her voice even. "It's Quinn. Can I come in please?"

"Yeah, just a second."

The door buzzes and Quinn goes inside, deciding to take the stairs. She remembers Holly moved into 2B and finds the door unlocked. She goes inside and Holly appears around the corner with a smile on her face. Her smile soon turns into a frown when she sees the state Quinn is in.

"Honey, are you okay? Where's Tiago?"

"Family dinner," Quinn chokes.

Suddenly, it's all too much and she can't take it anymore. She starts crying loudly, unable to stop herself. Holly leads her to the couch with soothing words and holds her close to her as Quinn tells her story.

"I'm making you a cup of tea. You're staying here tonight," she says decisively.

Quinn can only nod.

"Do you want to call Tiago?"

"No," Quinn answers softly. "He can't do anything, he's in Kentucky. I don't want him to worry. I'll tell him tomorrow."

"He'll be angry you didn't call him."

"I know," Quinn sighs. "Just... I'll tell him tomorrow."

Holly sighs. "Okay, your choice. I'll go make you that cup of tea now."


	9. Chapter 9

When Quinn wakes up the next morning, it takes a second before she gathers her bearings. As soon as she realises what happened last night, a weight seems to fall down on her shoulders. She wants to shake it off and gets out of the bed she doesn't remember getting into, but it's no use. She follows the smell of coffee to the kitchen and cracks a smile when she sees the bacon sizzling in the pan on the stove.

"Good morning!" Holly says entirely too cheerfully for this time of day. "Your love for bacon isn't exactly a secret and I treat my guests well. Sit down!"

Quinn mumbles a good morning back and sits down at the table, sighing heavily. Holly pours her a cup of coffee and frowns at her. "How are you feeling?" she asks, softly now.

"Like I really want Tiago here?" Quinn admits freely. She's tired of games and lies. Besides, this is Holly. She can trust her. "It just sucks. He's always here and now that I need him, he's not."

"Well, you know he's only a text away. I bet he'd find a way to get home in a heartbeat if he heard what happened."

"I don't know," Quinn says hesitantly. "He doesn't see his extended family very often. I don't want to ruin it for him, you know?"

"I really think it'd be good for you to have his support now. I'm sure he wouldn't mind being called away. If anything, he'd be upset you didn't call him. Anyway - did you get some rest?"

"Barely closed an eye," Quinn sighs, then realising what it might sound like. "Don't get me wrong, the bed is lovely, it's all just so much to take in. Not only did they kick me out, I have no idea how I'm supposed to go to college, if they're still paying... I honestly don't think so, and I haven't applied for any scholarships. But then again, I want to worry about that later. Right now, I just want to talk to Santiago."

"Why don't you have a hot shower? Fresh towels are in the cabinet. Then we'll take it from there."

"Okay, that sounds good."

###

Holly orders pizza for lunch and even though Quinn barely gets to eat it, even though she loves it, she doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as she would without the worries weighing her down. When the doorbell rings, Quinn looks up in surprise. She really doesn't feel like dealing with a stranger now and gets up to go the second bedroom, where she woke up this morning.

"No, you stay, Quinn," Holly smiles. "I promise you won't regret it."

Quinn frows, but decides to trust her teacher. When Holly opens the door, Quinn is dumbfounded at the sight. "Tiago?"

Tiago looks like crap, but he flies to her and wraps his arms around him before she gets the chance to really take him in. "Why the hell didn't you call me, Quinn?" he berates her, the effect kind of lost by his worried embrace.

"I didn't want to ruin your family time," she mumbles against his (smelly) shirt, pulling him closer to her. Then, a thought strikes her. "How come you're home already?"

"Holly called me this morning. She didn't tell me what went down exactly, all I know is those fucking assholes kicked you out for no good reason and you didn't fucking call me. Care to tell me what the hell happened?"

Quinn sighs. "Can we maybe go to your place? I've got some fresh clothes there."

"Yeah, sure. The others are still in Kentucky, or they might be on the way home, I'm not sure."

Holly smiles. "Alright, Quinn, I'll give you my number and you give me a call when you're heading back here, okay? I'll be in all day."

Quinn nods. "Thanks, Holly."

Holly walks over to Quinn and gives her a hug. "Any time, Quinn."

###

Quinn goes straight to Tiago's room, putting on some other clothes. Tiago is still going on about how she should have told him.

"Tiago, can you shut up and hold me?"

He sighs and buries his face in his hands, clearly as tired as she is. "Fine, but only if you tell me why the hell they kicked you out."

Quinn takes a deep breath. "I guess I have no choice, right?"

"Damn right you don't. And I want to know everything, so don't you leave anything out."

Quinn crawls into his bed and waits for Tiago to join her. When she can feel his arms around her, she begins her story. She knows it's no use lying to him, and she doesn't want to anyway, so she includes everything her father said. The only thing she leaves out is the part where she says she's in love with Tiago and will basically fuck him any which way before marriage.

Quinn turns around in surprise when he lets go of her and gets out of the bed. His face is flushed with anger. "I'm going to fucking kill that fucking bigoted pig," he spits. "He has no fucking right to say those things to you."

He grabs a pair of shoes and puts them on.

"Where are you going?" Quinn asks warily. She's never seen him so angry before.

"I'm going to fucking kill him with my bare hands," he says decidedly.

When he leaves the room, Quinn jumps up and goes after him. "Tiago, stop it! You know he has connection in high places - if you lay a hand on him, he'll find a way to ruin your life and I don't want that for you! He'll ruin your life and that of your parents and your sister. He's not worth it."

"No, Quinn," Tiago says, his voice shaking with anger. "He doesn't get to fucking do this and get away with it. I'm gonna beat the motherfucking shit out of that, that - that fucking monster!"

She grabs his arm and forces him to look her in the eye. "No. Tiago, he's gonna hurt you. Don't. I don't need that from you. I need you to hold me and tell me I'll find a way out of this." Tears spring to her eyes. "I just need you to hold me, Tiago," she repeats, her voice small. "I don't need you to go all heroic. I need you here with me."

He looks at her and she can feel him resign. Finally, he sighs. "Alright. But I'm telling mom and dad as soon as they get home."

She takes his hand and leads him back to his room and his bed. Soon, they're back in their usual positions. Quinn turns around, wrapping her arms around him as well. "I didn't get any sleep last night and I'm really tired, so I'm just gonna nap, okay?"

"Yeah," Tiago says softly, ruffling her hair. "I'll be right here."

Quinn falls into a deep sleep instantly.

###

Quinn is on top of Tiago, her hands cupping his face. She kisses his lips intensely, pressing her bodies against his. She licks his lips and he opens them slightly, the kiss soon turning more passionate. She's not wearing a bra and her nightshirt is so thin.

"Quinn," Tiago moans. "Oh God - Quinn - I"

"Shut up," Quinn mumbles against his lips, her hand sliding down to his wrist. She takes it and puts his hand on her stomach, guiding it upwards to her tits.

Tiago moans when he palms her breast, her nipple hardening agains the palm of his hand. She nips at his lower lip, pushing her hips into him. He groans and follows her motions. The combination of his lips, his tongue, and his hands urge her to buckle her hips into his.

Suddenly, she feels something between her legs. They're wrapped around his hips and it takes her a second to realise that that foreign yet amazing sensation is probably his hardening dick. At first, she goes along with it, pushing into him even more, just because it feels so good. They're both moaning into the kiss now, but when Tiago wants to throw her over, Quinn realises what's happening.

His dick is hardening against her crotch. He's basically horny for her. They're basically on the way to having sex.

"Quinn?" Tiago asks worriedly. "Are you okay?" He shakes her shoulder. "Quinn? Hey? What's wrong?"

Quinn wakes up, startled. She looks around, then realises where she is. It was just a dream. She doesn't know if she's disappointed or relieved. Probably the former. But then that thought is so scary she tries everything she can to push it away.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what time is it?"

"You were moaning like crazy, Q. And you were humping me."

Quinn flushes. "Okay. Okay. Um. I have to get back to Holly's and I'll call you later so we can meet up. Yeah. I have to go. Talk to you later."

And before Tiago can say anything else, Quinn is out of the door and on her way to Holly's. On her way there, she gets out her cellphone to let her teacher know she's only about a block away.

Holly lets her in.

"So, I'm really just here to pick my stuff up. I'm going to look for a motel I can afford and I'd like to find one in time."

Holly frowns. "A motel? What are you talking about?"

"I have to live somewhere. I don't want to move in with Tiago because things are weird and I don't want to impose and I don't really have anywhere else to go."

"You're in love with him?"

"You know?" Quinn asks, shocked. "Shit, I only know since last night! Am I that obvious?"

"Pretty much," Holly shrugs. "Anyway, you're not going to a motel. I've been thinking about you all day and it'd be ridiculous. I have a two-bedroom apartment. I figured you'd stay with Tiago, but then I thought you never know they don't have the space. I have the space. You're moving in with me."

"No," Quinn says decisively. "I can't pay my way for a place as nice as this."

Holly frowns. "I don't want you to worry about that. We'll figure something out. But you're not staying in a motel. Please?" she pouts. "As a favour to me? I could use the company. Besides, you know Tiago's going to throw a fit. You don't need more worries. Just let me do this for you?"

"Alright," Quinn sighs, then groans as she slumps down on the couch. She looks up at Holly in despair. "How did this happen, Holly?"


	10. Chapter 10

The next day is one of the last days of the Summer holiday, but you'd never know by the weather. Quinn feels like the weather is mocking her by contradicting her mood so much. "Are you ready?" Holly asks her as they're standing at the front door of Quinn's old home.

Quinn swallows and then nods. She takes her key and goes inside. Holly follows her through the hall and into the living room. Quinn is not surprised to find her mother in front of the television, a bottle of cognac on the table and her glass empty.

Judy merely blinks when she notices her daughter. "Oh, sweetie, you're not supposed to be here. You know what your father said." It's clear she's had too many drinks already.

"I know. I just came to pick up some stuff. This is Holly, I'm staying with her now," Quinn says, banning all emotion from her voice.

That seems to sober Judy up a bit. "Oh. Right. Well, then, you go and grab your stuff while I talk to Holly."

Quinn frowns, not trusting her mother, but she goes ahead when Holly gives her a reassuring nod. It feels strange for Quinn to go upstairs and up to her room, knowing this is the last time she'll ever be in this house. It's what she's wanted for a long time, but she had never quite imagined it to be like this.

While she packs her things, she finds herself focusing on pictures and notebooks, because they hold the memories of those people that have been there for her. She doesn't take many clothes, the ones at home are the ones she doesn't like anyway. All the good stuff is at Tiago's.

When she's finally finished, she goes downstairs. She can't read Holly's face and has no idea what her mother might have told her. With another firm nod, Holly lets Quinn know that she's ready to leave this place.

"Tell Santiago to take good care of you," Judy says before they leave.

Quinn chuckled humourlessly. "He already does. He has done so for years."

Judy at least has the decency to blush. "You should get going. Your father might be home early and he won't be too pleased to find you here."

"Right."

Quinn waits until they're back at Holly's place to ask her what that was all about. Holly seems to consider her words before replying. "Your mom just wanted to tell me that she would try to sneak away as much money as she could without your father knowing to support you, but she was too drunk to discuss it thoroughly. I'm thinking about going back some other time."

Quinn nods. It's weird to see her mother care at times, when she never showed any love when Quinn needed it. She decides to change the subject. "Tomorrow is the Lopez End of Summer barbecue. Tiago said you're invited and I'd love for you to come. The Lopez' are my second family, and more of a family than my own. I also expect they'll want to talk to you about what happened. I know Maribel is worried that you're doing this, that you're taking me in, and that it'll be too much for you at one point. I think she just worries."

"Okay," Holly smiles. "I'll be there."

###

The next day, Quinn decides to let all her worries go and just enjoy the time with the Lopez family. The barbecue is amazing as always, and so very crowded. All of their friends are invited, as well as a lot of neighbours.

Santiago and Quinn are enjoying the beer they're only allowed once a year in the back of the garden, overlooking the busy party. Lessa is off somewhere with River. Quinn smiles when she thinks back to that morning, when Lessa had told her so excitedly that she was going to meet River.

"So, how do you feel about getting back to school?" Quinn asks, her finger going around the neck of her bottle.

"I'm nervous, mostly," Tiago admits. "I'm nervous because I'm going to be in the spotlight so much more. It's not that the soccer team was unpopular, but we were mostly left alone. I mean, all your cheerleaders were going after the football players. I think they're going to come after us now and I'm just not sure how some of the guys are going to handle it."

"Because you'll be completely celibate?" Quinn teases, although she does feel a sting of jealousy at the thought of Tiago with any of the cheerleaders. None of them are good enough. She doesn't hate the other cheerleaders, she just knows Tiago deserves more than what they can offer him.

Tiago blushes and looks away. "Shut up," he mumbles.

Their conversation is cut off by Lessa running towards them, followed closely by a blonde girl. "Quinnie! Quinnie! Quinnie!" Lessa yells excitedly. Finally, she comes to a halt, breathing heavily. "Quinnie, this is River!"

Quinn smiles. "Hi, Bridget. Lessa's told me all about you!"

Quinn can see the tension on Lessa's face dissipate as Bridget talks to Quinn animatedly. They chat for a little while and Quinn smiles at the things Lessa does for Bridget and the things she says to her. It reminds her so much of her and Tiago when they were that age, it's almost scary.

Then Bridget gets called away to her mother and Lessa follows her happily.

"She's in love," Quinn says decisively. "It's crystal clear."

"She just might be," Tiago agrees. "And I can guarantee you that Lessa is a true Lopez. She won't let Bridget go without a fight."

A true Lopez doesn't let the girl they love go without a fight, huh?

Quinn smiles weakly. She doesn't want to even consider what she'll do when she sees Tiago falling for a girl and fighting for her. She has a feeling she just might combust.

###

That evening, Tiago and Quinn have a tradition to uphold and it involves Quinn staying over at his place. They have Chinese and ice cream and then a pillow fight.

For the fifth year in a row, Quinn wins the pillow fight. She finds it suspicious, especially since she remembers Tiago being exceptionally good at it, but decides not to mention it. She prefers basking in her glory.

They're now cuddling on his bed, trying to fall asleep, but both are too nervous about what the new school year will bring. Quinn, being the winner, gets to lie down on top of Tiago.

"Thank you," Quinn says suddenly after a long silence. She's not even sure if he's still awake.

"For what?" he asks.

"Being you. Being here. I really need you right now. I always do, but especially now."

"Then you're in luck, because I'll never let you go."

Those words do something to Quinn, a feeling she has never felt before overwhelms her, and she knows for the first time why it feels like her heart is exploding and melting at the same time. Before she knows it, her lips find his and her arms wrapped around his neck, her body pressing closer into him.

The kiss is frantic and full of need, soft and moist. Finally, they have to pull away for air.

Then Quinn realises what she's doing. She's putting their entire friendship at risk for a crush that might go away. She's risking the single most important relationship in her life because she can't keep it in her pants. What if she loses him? She can't allow that to happen. "I'm so sorry," she mumbles, rolling off of him. "I... this... it doesn't have to mean anything. Let's forget this even happened. This is just... nerves, or something. It doesn't... Tiago?"

He's silent and she knows he can't have fallen asleep. Finally, after a few minutes that feel like ages, he swallows and says: "Nothing happened. We had a pillow fight and then we cuddled and now we'll fall asleep."

His voice sounds weird and small, but she can't figure out why.


	11. Chapter 11

Quinn holds her hand above her eyes, squinting against the early morning sun. Her team of Cheerios are ready, waiting for their Captain to speak. The moment she gives that final tug to her ponytail, Quinn assumes her cheerleader persona. She's not the same Quinn Fabray in her uniform, or she wouldn't have made Captain.

"Alright, girls," she finally says. "Who of you is dating football players?"

Most of the girls raise their hands, frowning and sharing a look of confusion. They were expecting harsh words to prepare them for Coach Sylvester's speech later.

"Dump them," Quinn says decisively. "The football team has been demoted. To maintain our status, you date soccer players, or you're single. Understood?"

The girls nod. Quinn smiles contently. Tiago and his team deserve this promotion after working so hard for so many years - much harder than the football team ever has.

###

During the morning break, Quinn makes her way to Tiago's locker. Because of Cheerios practice, she hasn't seem him that morning. When she turns the corner in the hallway, she can easily spot him. She frowns when she noticed that he's talking to a girl she doesn't recognise from the back. The girl is stroking his arm and when she comes closer, she can hear her giggle.

Quinn can feel her blood boil.

She scrapes her throat, but the girl doesn't acknowledge her. Tiago does, however. He quickly promises to text her (even though Quinn is sure there's no way he has her number) and turns to Quinn. He grins at her and leans in for a quick hug.

"Who was that?" Quinn says, an eyebrow quirked and her voice full of disdain.

"Oh, that was Joanna. She was talking about her newfound interest in soccer. I bet she's more interested in my team mates than in the actual game."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "She's not interested in your team mates, dork. She's interested in you."

"You think?" he asks, genuinely curious.

Quinn sighs and smiles. Tiago may have changed on the outside, but he's still entirely too naive. "What's your next class?"

"History with Donoghue."

"Mine too," Quinn smiles. They check what classroom they're in a final time and then start walking.

"So, are you coming over for dinner tonight?" Tiago asks. "I'm not sure how this all works, with you living with Holly. I mean, I know you came over to ours to escape from that hellhole that was your parents' house, but I figure life must be pretty good with Holly so I get it if you like the peace and the calm more."

"Tiago, the main reason I spend so much time at your place is because it's my home and you guys are my family. I'll have to check in with Holly, but I'm sure she's fine with me having dinner over at yours. She'll probably be super busy anyway, with the new school year. I actually had no idea she works as hard as she does. She makes it all look so easy, but she spends hours preparing."

They chat the rest of the way and then take their seats next to each other.

###

"Hey, pretty lady."

Quinn closes her locker and huffs when she sees the face belonging to the voice. David Mueller, one of Tiago's least favourite team members.

"Hello," she says as coldly as possible. She takes a step back - anything not to give him the impression that she's interested in him.

"Matthews is giving a party on Friday. Cool crowd only. Wanna be my date?"

Quinn is just about to turn him down when Tiago turns up and steals her thunder. "Mueller, what the fuck did I tell you about Quinn Fabray?"

"She your girlfriend?" Mueller asks skeptically. "If she's not, then back the hell off, dude. You don't own her."

"Was I not clear this morning?" Tiago snaps. "Everybody keep their hands off Quinn."

"Just 'cause you're too scared to feel her up doesn't mean the rest of us can't take a shot with her. You're my Captain, Lopez, but you're not the boss of me. I'll take Quinn here to the party if I like."

"I'm standing right here," Quinn interrupts the bickering guys. "And you're not taking me to the party. Now get out of my way, you're wasting my oxygen."

When they've turned the corner, Quinn pushes Tiago against the wall. He gives her a confused look.

"Did you actually tell your team members not to ask me out?" she hisses.

"Do you want to go out with any of them?" Tiago avoids the question, not meeting her eyes.

"So not the point. I might have Mueller, but you don't own me. What if I did want to date one of them? What did you say to them?"

"I might have mentioned a loss of certain... vital equipment if they tried to ask you out. I just want to protect you, Quinn. They're not good enough for you."

Quinn sighs. She knows he's only trying to keep her safe, and it's sweet, but sometimes it gets a bit much. She doesn't want to feel like a helpless child. She doesn't want to be controlled.

"Are you going to Matthews' party?" Quinn asks, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Tiago answers. "Mindy asked me if I wanted to go with her."

Quinn freezes. Mindy is one of her cheerleaders. An inner voice nags to her: she did tell the cheerleaders to date soccer players. But she doesn't want them to date Tiago. "What did you say?" she asks slowly.

Tiago shrugs. "I told her I'd meet her there. I don't want to arrive with her, don't want to give anyone the impression I'm dating her. In all honesty, I want to keep my options open."

Quinn swallows. "Right. Okay." She tries to tell herself she's fine, but she knows she's not.

###

"Santiago Lopez, is that you?" Kurt asks incredulously as Tiago enters the choir room. Kurt's hand is resting on his chest and his mouth is wide open in shock.

Tiago smiles shyly and blushes. "Yeah. I hit the gym a bit more than usual this summer. Had to keep busy while Quinn was away."

"You're lookin' fine!" Mercedes compliments him. "I bet you got all the girls drooling over you!"

"It's disgusting," Quinn comments. "Soccer gets promoted and they're all over him."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy there?" Sam teases.

Quinn blushes and looks away, glad that the moment is interrupted by someone else entering the choir room. A murmur goes through the room when Holly Holliday enters with a big smile on her face. The only ones who aren't surprised are Tiago and Quinn. They know what everyone is thinking, and finally Sam is the one to ask out loud.

"Is Mr. Schue ill again?"

"No, I am not," the man answers himself as he enters the room. "Ms. Holliday and I will work together to coach New Directions all the way to the first place in Nationals."

"I will also be your new English teacher," Ms Holliday adds. "I've seen some of you in class already."

"So you guys will be co-directors?" Finn asks.

Ms Holliday and Mr Schue nod simultaneously.

"Awesome," Puck grins.

###

The rest of the week, Quinn has to fight the green-eyed monster whenever a girl is flirting with Tiago. It's almost like none of them can talk to him normally anymore - they just have to be touchy and giggling. Not only the cheerleaders act this way around him - pretty much any girl with enough confidence to do so.

It annoys Quinn to no end. She never thought Tiago would actually put up with this shit. She's pretty sure the old Tiago would have seen right through it, but he seems to be enjoying the attention. She's this close to snapping to him, but she knows it isn't fair.

Finally, it's Friday night - the night of the party. Quinn isn't really looking forward to it. She doesn't like most of the people there and she knows girls are gonna be all over Tiago again, but it's important for her to be there as Captain of the Cheerios.

Because she lives so close to him now, Tiago and Quinn go together.

"Aren't you worried people are gonna think we're dating? I thought you wanted to keep your options open," Quinn says teasingly.

"It's not like people are gonna think that. We've been best friends for years," Tiago answers matter-of-factly.

Ouch.

###

"You alright there, Quinn?" Sam asks, walking up to his friend with a drink in hand. Quinn just ruined another plastic cup, her eyes set on Tiago and the slut of the minute he's dancing with. She doesn't even realise that closing her fist around the plastic cups breaks them.

"I'm fine," Quinn says through gritted teeth.

"It's Tiago, isn't it." Sam says more than he asks. He sits down next to Quinn on the couch.

Quinn sighs and looks at him. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to me," Sam winks. "So, penny for your thoughts?"

"I just thought he had better taste than Emily Cooper. Or Kathy Ryers. Or Ellen White. Or Lisa Northinger."

"Why does it bother you so much?"

Quinn blushes. "You're not my shrink, Sam," she snaps. "What do you care anyway?"

Sam lifts his hands and leans back. "No need to snap at me. If you don't wanna talk about it, fine. But you should at least talk to him, because that boy has no idea what's going on inside that wicked smart head of yours."

"Whatever," Quinn mumbles, knowing full well it's not a bad idea. Her eyes scan the crowd in search of Tiago again, but she can't find him. She frowns and gets up, making her way to the kitchen. Some guy from Tiago's team and Kelly, one of her cheerleaders, are making out against the fridge. A couple of others are trying to make cocktails that look seriously gross, but Tiago isn't there. And neither is Emily.

She leaves the kitchen and takes a look outside, but can't find them there either. Hesitantly, she even looks in the garage, but then she can't put it off anymore. They must be upstairs. As she takes the stairs, she holds on to the hope that they'll be in the hallway, but the couple making out there aren't Tiago and Emily.

Quinn's heart starts beating faster. She opens the first door to her right, only to be cursed at by two - or are there three? - people on a bed. She tries another door, randomly, but is again unsuccesful. She starts to wonder if they took off, but she knows Tiago wouldn't just leave without telling her. Then she opens the third door and all the colour drains from her face.

Tiago is sitting on the edge of the bed, pants around his ankles, shirt discarded. His head is thrown back, his hand tangled in Emily Cooper's hair. Emily's head is between his legs, bobbing up and down. Quinn is frozen to the spot. She can't move. She can't even look away.

"Holy fucking shit!"

Tiago's curse brings her out of it. Emily turns around, looking very annoyed. Tiago immediately covers his dick with his hands. "I'm not into threesomes," Emily says. "Get in line, Fabray. Every girl wants on this hot piece of man."

Quinn simply turns around and walks away. She doesn't realise tears are rolling down her cheeks until she can taste the salt on her lips. She keeps going, ignoring everyone around her, all the way to the car. It's only then that she realises she came here with Tiago and he has the keys.

Finally, a voice breaks through her trance. "Quinn!"

She recognises Tiago's voice, but doesn't turn around. She feels completely empty inside. She still can't believe it. Tiago, having random sex? Why is he acting this way? Not discouraging the girls at school. Why does he enjoy their attention? He must know they only act this way because of the way he looks and the fact that he's Captain of the soccer team.

"Quinn!" He pulls at her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. He's panting, his hair is dishevelled. He's got his pants back on, but is still clutching his shirt in his hand. "Quinn, what's going on?"

Hearing those words catapults her back to reality. Anger floods her and she barely has the patience to explain it to him. "What's going on? Seriously? Maybe it's you acting like some fucking slut all week!"

"Hey!" Tiago frowns, offended. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"You know what it means," Quinn snaps. "You fucking love all those girls drooling over you, don't you? How many of them have sucked your dick, huh?"

"Since when can't I talk to who I like?" Tiago asks, taking a step back. He looks angry and genuinely confused. "And since when is it your business who I sleep with?"

"First Charlotte, now Emily, who else have you bumped uglies with? Since when are you even this person, Tiago?" Quinn shouts the last sentence.

"What the fuck is your problem, Fabray?" Tiago yells back. "Really, tell me what the fuck your problem is because I am fucking sick of it! You push and you pull and you play games with my mind and you mess with my head and I can't fucking take it anymore!"

"I do not play games with your mind!" Quinn huffs. "Because you can't keep it in your pants -"

"Shut the fuck up," Tiago bellows. "Don't you fucking try and deny it! You kiss me and then you tell me we're just friends, then you fucking hump me in your sleep and you say my name and you pretend it didn't even happen! What is up with you?"

"Why did you have to sleep with Charhead?" Quinn asks, tears of frustration streaming down her face.

"What does that have to do with it?" Tiago asks, hitting the hood of his car in frustration. "I thought we had this conversation? But if you must know, Charhead kissed me before I looked like this. She kissed me years ago. She wasn't just interested in me when my body changed."

"It's not about that! I just - I'm your friend! I want you to be happy and to be with a nice girl and have a meaningful relationship, but you're just sleeping around like some common whore!"

"That's the second time you've insulted me, Fabray. I'm a fucking teenage boy, of course I'll sleep around if I can't get the girl I want!"

"And who is that?" Quinn challenges him.

"I'm sick of this. I'm not standing here fighting with you and being insulted by you for doing stuff normal teenagers do. I'm going to drive you home now."

The look in his eyes scares her and suddenly, it seems as if someone pulled a plug and all the anger just flows out of her. "Tiago," she says softly. "I'm - we - we can talk about this. I didn't mean to -"

"Yeah, you did," he says. She can't pinpoint that look - is it anger? Sadness? Disappointment? Despair? "And I'm not having it anymore. I thought you were my friend. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Tiago, I didn't -"

"Just get in the car," he snaps, looking away from her.


	12. Chapter 12

When Quinn goes to bed that night, she's tired, but she can't sleep. She has never been in a fight with Santiago like this before. She can't concentrate on anything. She doesn't understand why he's letting some random girl go down on him, but he won't let any of his team members even ask her to go on a date. She doesn't exactly like that her cheerleaders try to get it on with him, but then she never expected him to actually go with it.

He's giving her such mixed messages - accusing her of playing mind games and at the same time talking about keeping his options open. Why does he get to be an asshole and she can't even be upset?

But most of all, she thinks about what he said about Charhead. She never thought of herself as superficial, yet she only fell for Tiago when he looked like a stud. That's not her, that's not her at all. She doesn't care about the way people look, and still she only fell in love with him now. She lies awake all night and all morning.

When she hears knocking on the door, she checks her phone. It's lunch. No texts or missed calls from Tiago. "Come in," she says weakly.

Holly enters the room with a tray holding a cup of tea. She places it on Quinn's nightstand and sighs. Quinn can see that her teacher is worried. "Are you okay, Quinn?"

"Yeah, I'm -" Quinn hesitates. She's so used to lying about her feelings, but for once, she needs to talk about it. She talked to Holly before, she knows she can trust her. She sits up a little straighter and then admits: "No. I got into a fight with Tiago last night and I think we really hurt each other and I don't know how to make it right. He hasn't even texted me or tried to call me. He always does."

"What happened?" Holly asks, grabbing a chair and making herself comfortable.

Not holding back for a second, Quinn tells Holly about everything. What happened last night, and how confused she feels about being in love with him now that he looks great and how it contradicts what she believed about herself.

Holly takes Quinn's hand and smiles sadly. "He is a teenage boy. That's not a lie. But the fact that it was his excuse last night? Honey, that's bullshit. It doesn't give him a right to act like an asshole. And I think he knows that, and he also knows that it's not the kind of guy he is. I really think you two have a lot to talk about. You're both going crazy and from an outsider's point of view, it's becoming ridiculous."

Quinn frowns, not understanding completely what Holly means. "Yeah, I'll talk to him. Not right now - I feel a bit... raw, emotionally. I think I'll wait to hear from him first. I did call him a slut twice."

"You both hurt each other. Don't take all the blame here, Quinn."

Quinn smiles weakly. "Okay. I won't."

Quinn waits for the rest of the day, hoping Tiago will call or text or even come over. But he doesn't. It's almost as if he just died, or disappeared. Every minute seems to last a century and she's becoming more and more anxious. She's not hungry, but Holly makes her eat something. She tries to focus on reading a book, but she finds herself reading the same sentence over and over again.

Afternoon becomes late afternoon and late afternoon becomes evening. She still hasn't been able to get anything done, even though they do have some homework. She goes to bed early, but she still can't sleep. Her thoughts are racing. She stares at the ceiling, waiting, not even really remembering what it is she's waiting for.

Finally, around 3 AM, she can't take it anymore. She gets out of bed, throws on some clothes and writes a note for Holly. Fifteen minutes later, she's climbing through Tiago's window. She's relieved he left his window open, and for a moment she wonders if he did that purposely or if it's just a habit to him.

He's already asleep, so she decides to wait until morning. She crawls into bed with him and snuggles herself in his embrace. He's always been a very steady sleeper and he stirs, but doesn't wake up. Her heart is beating so loudly in her chest she's almost surprised he doesn't wake up. Surrounded by his smell, the safe feeling of being in his arms, she finally manages to get into a light sleep.

###

"Holy fucking shit!"

Quinn is immediately awake. She turns around to see Tiago's shocked face. She doesn't know what to say or do, so she just says: "Good morning."

"You scared me," he says, rubbing his eyes. "When?"

"This night. I couldn't sleep," she shrugs. Then she sighs. "Tiago... we need to talk."

It's almost as if he'd forgotten and now he remembers. His eyes go cold. "We don't have anything to talk about."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Tiago, remember who you're talking to."

He considers that, and finally he gives in. "Yeah, maybe we do. Let's go and make some coffee first, though."

Quinn nods and he gets out of bed. Despite everything, Quinn can't help but admire his naked torso. When he reaches the doorway, he stops and turns around. He looks at her, searches her eyes. He seems to be mulling over his thoughts, and finally, the Tiago she knows gets through. "Whatever we end up saying, I love you, okay?" he says softly.

"Yeah," Quinn says. "I know. I love you too."

###

"So," Quinn says, letting out a breath she doesn't know she's been holding. "I'm confused. You told your team members that they couldn't ask me out on a date. You don't want me to be with anyone. But you do nothing to stop the countless girls flirting with you and you even have random sex. How is it that you forbid people from trying to ask me out, but you get to sleep around?"

He blushes. "I... it's complicated. No. It's simple. I told you I'm a teenage boy and -"

"And that's no excuse," Quinn cuts him off. "Cut the crap, Tiago. I know you better than that. The Tiago I know would never do that. He's not a hypocrite."

He thinks about his words for a long time before he answers her. "Maybe I'm not the Tiago you know anymore."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "And when exactly did you change? I talk to you every day. Tell me why people aren't allowed to date me and you are allowed to sleep around?"

"I just... the girl I like doesn't want me. Or maybe she does. She's sending me super mixed signals, and it's so frustrating. And she... she turns me on, but I can't tell her, and I get horny and there's only so much you can take care of yourself, you know? And last night, with Emily, it didn't mean anything to me. I wasn't even thinking of Emily."

Quinn quirks an eyebrow. "The girl you like?"

Tiago takes a deep breath. "I told my team members to keep their hands off her and to leave her alone because I genuinely believe none of them is good enough for her, and honestly, I'd just about implode with jealousy if I saw her with someone else. But at the same time, I don't think she wants to be with me or she would've made a move already, and I've been so damn horny all the time with her around and I needed to get off. And I didn't tell girls to stop flirting with me all week and I had sex with this one because I thought maybe if I could fall for one of them, I'd forget about the girl I love." He's beet red by now. "And I know that was wrong. But I just can't think anymore. I don't know how this all even happened."

It all makes sense to Quinn now. She can feel the warmth spread through her body. The relief is almost too much. "The guy I'm in love with has been flirting with girls all week. Girls that only really want him because of his new status and how he looks. He even let one of them go down on him. And I had to shut my mouth and bear it, because I thought he wouldn't like me that way and if I told him how I feel, our friendship of years would be over, and I can't live without him. At the same time, he told his team members not to date me our touch me or whatever. He told them, and he slept around himself, and I didn't understand I got angry and I said things I didn't mean."

She can see in his eyes that he understands. "Quinn... do you mean..."

She nods. "Yeah."

"But how are you different?" he suddenly asks.

"What do you mean?"

"How are you different from the girls who only want me because I look hotter now? I've been in love with you for years, Quinn. I don't even remember what it's like not to be in love with you. But you only started acting differently after you got back from California."

"I was confused about that myself, we both know I'm not like that. I talked to Holly about it and she thinks I've always been in love with you, or at least for a long time, and that being away and then seeing you again is what made it more prominent. We'd never been apart for that long. And that maybe the attraction I feel to you is what made me see I was in love with you. But that ultimately, nobody can really tell."

"So, you're not just into me for my body?"

"Of course not. If I was only interested in bodies, I would've had twenty boyfriends in California."

"So... I'm in love with you, you're in love with me. Does that mean we're a couple now?" he asks hopefully.

Quinn cocks her head. "I'd love to be. Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

He gives her a look that says 'are you fucking kidding me?' and puts his cup of coffee aside, jumping on the bed to kiss her over and over again, intensely, passionately, and most of all - lovingly.


	13. Chapter 13

Half an hour later, Tiago and Quinn are still kissing. Quinn has never felt this way before, and the knowledge that Tiago is now her boyfriend makes it so much better. To know that she can do this whenever she wants now, and it won't be awkward, makes it perfect.

They stop to catch some air and Tiago lies down next to Quinn. He looks at her with a goofy smile on his face that makes Quinn feel so warm inside it's almost as if she's about to melt. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and bites his lip. "You are so beautiful, Quinn Fabray."

Quinn blushes. "You're pretty handsome yourself."

They lie in silence for a while and Quinn keeps going over the conversation they had earlier. It's still hard to wrap her mind around the fact that he's really in love with her, and has been for so long. How did she never notice this?

Finally, she asks the question that keeps plaguing her mind. "Tiago... you said I make you horny all the time, but you have to know that I'm not ready for sex."

"Oh, I can totally wait!" Tiago says quickly. "Like, if I have to wait for 20 years, I'll wait for 20 years. You're so worth it. I love you for everything you are, Quinnevere."

Quinn smiles. "It won't be 20 years," she winks, before leaning in to plant her lips on his, getting lost in yet another passionate kiss.

They're so caught up in their kiss that they don't hear the footsteps in the hallway. They also don't notice the door opening, and they're startled when they hear Maribel Lopez' voice starting a lecture. "Santiago Manuel Lopez, what did I tell you about staying up late and - oh! Dios!" Maribel turns around, covering her eyes, muttering in Spanish.

Tiago and Quinn immediately let go of each other and don't know how to hold themselves. Tiago, blushing heavily, rubs his neck. "Good morning, mami," he says weakly.

"Can I turn around?" Maribel asks. When they both confirm, she turns on her feet and plants her hands on her hips. "Okay. You kids got some explaining to do. Quinn, when did you arrive here? Tiago, since when do friends kiss like that?"

Quinn looks down on her hands. "I climbed through his window last night. It was late and I didn't want to wake anyone up, so, yeah..."

Maribel quirks an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid, I know you take the ladder sometimes and Tiago always leaves his window open. But why would you climb through his window in the middle of the night? Holly didn't hurt you, did she? Because I swear to god, if she dares to-"

"No, Holly's wonderful!" Quinn quickly says. "But... well... I don't know if Tiago told you this..."

Maribel quirks her other eyebrow as Quinn looks at Tiago with questioning eyes. "Told me what?"

Tiago sighs and rubs his face. "At the party on Friday night, Quinn and I got into a fight. We didn't talk at all yesterday, and last night Quinn couldn't sleep and she couldn't take it anymore, so she came here. I woke up and she was in my bed. We needed to talk, so we talked, and now we're kind of more than friends." He smiles shyly. "Quinn's my girlfriend now."

"Well that's about time!" Lessa says, curious was the commotion was about. "I swear, if it had taken you guys any longer I would've locked you up together!"

Maribel smiles. "Well, yes, it is about time. My Tiago has been giving you those eyes ever since he met you and I'm sorry to tell you, Quinn, but subtle is not exactly your middle name. We have to celebrate this!" She walks over to Tiago's window, opens it completely, takes a deep breath and then shouts: "Guillermo! Tiago's room! Now!"

Guillermo, who had been working in the garden, looks up to the window. When he sees the look on his wife's face, he hurries inside and upstairs. "What is it, honey? Did you find drugs? Oh, hi, Quinn!"

"You get showered and dressed, we're going out for lunch. We have a wedding to plan."

"What?" Guillermo asks. "What wedding?" He looks at Tiago and Quinn, and seeing their guilty faces, he panicks: "Oh, Quinn, dear, you're not pregnant, are you?"

Maribel rolls her eyes and pushes Guillermo to the bathroom. "Of course she's not pregnant! Well, at least I don't think so. But they have finally seen the light! I was going upstairs to -" They can't hear the rest, because Maribel closes the bathroom door. Suddenly, Maribel returns. "Quinn, does Holly know where you are?"

Quinn nods, still a bit overwhelmed. "Yeah. I left her a note."

"You give her a call. She's coming with us to lunch."

###

Quinn and Tiago are cuddled up in Quinn's bed. They decided to sleep at Holly's place, to get some peace. Tiago kisses Quinn's neck before asking her: "Do we tell people tomorrow?"

"I don't see why we should hide it," Quinn smiles. "Let's not make it some big announcement. Just arrive hand in hand, give a public kiss or two. The rumour mill and Jacob Ben Israel will do the rest."

"Okay," Tiago nods. "Deal. I can drive you to school, I have a soccer meeting with Coach. We'll see each other at your locker at 8?"

"Awesome."

###

Quinn and Tiago can't exactly ignore the looks and the whispers. After all, they are the Cheerios Captain and the Captain of the soccer team. They're the golden couple, and people had been expecting this. Somehow, it's exciting for them.

"I'll see you in history later," Quinn says, putting away her books. "Right?"

Tiago pouts, holding her hand. "I don't want to be away from you. I'm gonna miss you so much. I will die a slow and painful death, longing for the love of my life, two entire corridors away."

Quinn rolls her eyes playfully. "You're such a dork," she teases. "I went to California for six weeks and you survived. You'll be fine."

"But you weren't my girlfriend then."

"You were in love with me."

"True." He gives her another goofy grin. "I still can't believe we're really together. I've been wanting this for so long it's almost a shock that it's happening for real."

"You better get used to the idea, 'cause you're not getting rid of me anytime soon, mister," she winks before leaning in for a soft kiss.

"Well, that's about time," a voice interrupts them. They break apart and turn around to see Sam and Mercedes smiling at them proudly.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Tiago whines.

"Because everyone could see," Sam shrugs. "Anyway, we have to be in Government in, like, five and you know how pissed Moore gets if we're late."

###

By the end of the day, the entire school knows. The other members of New Directions manage to talk them into singing a duet to "celebrate", which they'll be performing the next week. Quinn has no idea why everyone is so involved in their relationship, but she doesn't really care.

She doesn't much care about anything, because Santiago Lopez is her boyfriend, and it feels damn great.


	14. Chapter 14

Quinn stares at Tiago's plate. They're having Chinese, together with Holly. Quinn finished her dish, but she's still hungry. Tiago has always been a slow eater. Quinn hopes he won't finish his dish and leave the rest for her. She knows having too much Chinese isn't good for her weight, which is of paramount importance considering that she's the captain of the Cheerios, but she resolves to run it off later. If Tiago stops kissing her, that is.

As she watches him eat, she thinks back to the past two weeks. They have been nothing short of wonderful. Tiago is the best, sweetest, cutest and best-looking boyfriend ever, in her humble opinion. He pouts when she calls him cute or adorable - he's still a bit of a macho, but oh so whipped, and he knows it. She's crazy about him, and he's making it very clear that he's crazy about her too. He's always hugging her and sneaking up for kiss. He was affectionate as a friend, but as a boyfriend, it's about a gazillion times worse. But Quinn doesn't mind. She feels safer and more loved than ever before.

Some of her fellow cheerleaders are jealous, but almost everyone accepted that it was inevitable. Most people apparently had seen this coming for years. Sometimes, she wonders if she's the only one who never knew Tiago was in love with her. Mercedes is convinced that Quinn is blind. "A blind fool," those were her exact words. She just feels so complete, getting to call Santiago Lopez her boyfriend. The thought of a future with him doesn't scare her. She wouldn't mind being Quinn Lopez, or Quinn Fabray Lopez.

"So, babe, I have an extra practice this afternoon," Tiago says between two bites. "You'll have to pick me up from there if we want to make dinner with Sam, Mercedes, Mike and Brittany. Also, tonight's my treat."

Quinn sighs. "I'm not poor, Tiago. I can pay my own way. And I think I'll just go with you to practice, run a few laps or read a book."

He smiles. "You're perfect, you know that?"

Quinn rolls her eyes playfully. "All I know is that I want the rest of your food."

"I'm going to starve," Tiago replies dramatically.

Quinn shrugs. "I want your food. Come on, you never finish it anyway."

"Okay, but I want extra kisses to make it up to me later on."

"Sure thang, baby," Quinn winks, putting on a heavy Southern drawl.

"You guys are sickening. I might have to see a dentist soon," Holly says in fake annoyance. "And here I was, thinking it was a good thing the two of you finally saw the light."

"It will be a good thing tonight," Tiago winks.

###

Quinn decides to just take a book to Tiago's soccer practice - she doesn't feel much like using the boys' showers, risking someone walking in on her. The Cheerios' changing room and showers are locked, and coach Sylvester is the only one with a key.

She settles down on a bench with a clear view of the field. She grins when she sees his Captain's arm band - it still fills her with such an immense feeling of pride. She watches the guys warm up and waves at Tiago as he runs by. Then she gets back to her book.

She manages to drown out the sounds of the boys on the soccer field - the shouts, the coach's whistle, the instructions. She's reading yet another book from Tiago's room. Quinn doesn't need a public library with Tiago Lopez as her boyfriend. He's a huge nerd, and she loves it.

After a little while, she puts her book down and decides to watch the game. After all these years, she knows the rules of soccer. She even enjoys playing it herself occasionally. When Tiago makes a goal, she whoops and hollers, not caring one single bit about the attention she attracts. She gets up and runs over to him.

The smile on his face is adorable. The sweat streaming down from his body is rather disgusting, but she doesn't care. She throws her arms around his neck and gives him a deep kiss as a reward. Normally, she's not fond of abundant PDA, but she makes exceptions. She knows this will give Tiago the confidence he needs to get over his silly notion that his scoring a goal is just pure luck.

The other guys of course whistle and joke. Not many girlfriends care enough to join them at practice. Quinn stands on the tips of her toes and whispers in Tiago's ear: "If you make two more goals, I'll think about second base tonight."

"Are you being serious?" he asks, a bit confused. Quinn knows he's fine with waiting, but she's just a girl of flesh and blood. She has needs to.

"I always am," she winks before jogging back to her bench.

Tiago stares after her, completely dumbfounded. He only returns to the land of the living when Patrick grabs his shoulders and shakes him.

Tiago scores five more goals.

A/N: I know this is a short one, but it's just a filler :)


	15. Chapter 15

Quinn can't help but check out Tiago's ass as they walk up to the driveway. She still can't believe her luck - she's pretty sure that the most handsome guy in Ohio is her boyfriend, if not the most handsome guy in the USA, or the world. Solar System. Galaxy. Universe.

Maribel is in the kitchen cooking dinner when they arrive. She looks up and smiles when she sees her son grinning like a fool because he has the girl he loves on his arm. "Tiago, go and help your dad in the garden. He's too short to reach the top of the hedge in the back but too proud to admit it. Make it look like it was his idea, always works."

Tiago walks over and kisses her on the cheek. "Okay, I'll be back later."

Quinn wants to go upstairs and leave her bag in Tiago's room, but Maribel puts a hand on her arm to stop her. Quinn turns around, frowning. Maribel gestures to a chair and sits down herself.

"Quinn - I know you love Tiago. I know you mean well. You know you're like my daughter and I love you as much as I would if you were my own, but the fact is that Tiago is still my son and I have to put family first - even though you are family, but you know what I mean, right?"

Quinn nods slowly, wondering what this is about.

Maribel chuckles. "Well, you know Tiago just as well as I do, if not better. I'm just... I know you wouldn't mean to, but please try not to hurt my baby boy. He's a real Cancer man, just like his daddy. You know how protective he gets - don't see that as him trying to control you, he just wants to keep you safe. He wants you to need him. You know he's so tender and sensitive on the inside. He likes to pretend he's a tough badass but he has the smallest heart I know. I know he still worries that you'll somehow change your mind and break up with him. Once you have him, you have all of him, Quinn. He's your boyfriend and he won't let you go without a fight, but it would kill him to have to fight to keep you. It would make him feel so insecure. I just don't want him to get his heart broken because I know how hard it would be on him, and I can't stand to see him sad. I've seen him sad for years, pining after you, torturing himself. I want him to be happy now."

Quinn smiles. "Don't worry, Maribel. As you said, I know what he's like. I know the good and the bad, the light and the darkness. I know those things you said about him, but I also know that he'll avoid confrontation and I'll have to be the one to confront him with things. I know his moods, I know how attached he is to the way things are and how he hates change. But he also has such a great imagination, such a loving heart. He's so sweet and gentle and tender and protective. He really makes me feel safe and at home, and that's more than I've ever felt at my real home. I feel like wherever he is, that's where I want to be, and I don't care where that is exactly. I'd follow him to the end of the world and back. He doesn't realise it, but I need him just as much as he needs me."

Maribel lets out a long sigh. "The two of you are meant for each other, Quinn, it just took you a couple more years to see than him. I think he's been in love with you since before he knew what love was and I realise that can be heavy emotionally, to have so much love."

"Don't worry," Quinn assures her. "I would fight for him too. I'm not letting him go."

Maribel has to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "You make him so happy. Thank you," she whispers in Quinn's ear before enveloping her in a big hug.

"You trying to steal my girl already, mom?" Tiago jokes as he enters the kitchen. Maribel pulls Quinn tighter against her one more time before she lets go and slaps her son playfully on the back of his head.

###

"What is it?" Quinn asks, blushing.

They're lying on the bed, trying to watch a TV show, but Quinn is distracted by Tiago blatantly staring at her. She's nestled against his side, one arm over her shoulder. He reaches over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and looks into her eyes. She still has to catch her breath when she sees the love in that deep brown. How is it that she never saw it before?

Finally, he shrugs and replies: "You're just so beautiful, baby."

Quinn giggles. "You look pretty fine yourself, handsome."

He opens his mouth as if he's going to say something, then frowns and licks his lips, and finally just leans over to kiss her. His hand cups her cheek and he rolls over until he's on top of her, resting his weight on his elbows. The kiss gradually grows more intense, until they're full-on making out.

Quinn moans into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She can hear and feel his groans. He presses his body into hers and she surprises him by giving him an open-mouthed kiss on the neck. She remembers the promise she made to him earlier that day. She puts her hand on his cheek and gently moves away his face. He frowns at her. She takes a deep breath and leans in to continue the kiss, simultaneously wrapping her hand around his wrist. She guides his hand under her shirt and he looks up in surprise, smiles at her and brings his lips to her cheeks. He kisses his way down to her mouth and kisses her lazily as his fingertips touch the skin on her stomach ever so lightly. She can feel every hair on her body standing on end as he moves his hand north, exploring, touching, carressing.

His fingertips reach the bottom of her bra and he halts his movements. He looks up from the kiss and she can see the question in his eyes: 'is this okay?' She swallows, smiles nervously and nods. He goes back to kissing her and then cups one of her tits through her bra. She sucks in a deep breath and lifts her body into his touch. He moans and presses his hips into hers. She can feel an almost electrical jolt go through her body and once again, she takes his hand, this time leading it under her bra. He cups one of her tits again, but now she can feel her nipple hardening against the palm of his hand.

Their bodies pull closer together automatically, a magnetic reaction between the two of them. She can feel his dick hardening through his pants and her body makes up its own mind by rubbing against him. He sucks in a breath in surprise and pushes back, providing surprising friction. She can feel her nipples hardening even more and she can't help but rub her centre against his frantically.

"Holy fuck," he mutters against her lips, but he seems to be just out of control as he is. She can feel a foreign sensation in the pit of her stomach and she has no choice but to obey her body and rub against him even more rapidly. She reckons he must be fully erect now, and his hardness rubs her exactly where she needs it. She loses all sense of space and time, it's just her and Tiago and what they're doing right now. Their pace increases, he bucks against her harder and she wraps her arms around his waist, keeping him close to her until something inside of her explodes and she's lost completely. The feeling rips through her and keeps shimmering. She only comes back to the real world when Tiago rolls off her.

"Was that..." Quinn asks, pretty sure but not entirely.

"An orgasm," Tiago confirms. "A damn good one. Even though we were only dry-humping, imagine us having actual sex," he says dreamily.

Quinn swallows and looks away shyly. "I'm still not ready for that, Tiago. I mean, obviously I'm more ready than I've ever been before, and I definitely want my first time to be with you, but I'm just not entirely there yet."

He smiles and pecks her on the lips. "Of course I know that, baby girl. And I'll still wait as long as it takes. But now I got to figure out a way to wash these boxers and pants without mom seeing or smelling anything."

###

Tiago and Quinn are at another jock's party. They've been dancing closely together, but after a while they decided to just relax on the couch. They watch Mike and Brittany dance in ways they can't even imagine themselves - and this is not even a competition, they're just having fun. They're amazing to watch.

Tiago leans closer to Quinn and says: "I'm going to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

"Have fun," Quinn replies. Tiago rolls his eyes playfully at that classic response, but doesn't say anything back.

Quinn raises an eyebrow when she sees Emily making her way to the doorway to the hall. A few minutes later, Tiago enters the room again and is about to make his way back over to Quinn when Emily stops him. Quinn knows Tiago loves her and he won't cheat on her, but she still doesn't like her hand on his arm, or that flirty smile.

Quinn can clearly see Tiago trying to come over to her, but Emily keeps finding ways to stop him. She trails her fingers over Tiago's arms and bats her eyelashes. Tiago looks annoyed, but she doesn't give up. Emily stands on the tips of her toes and Quinn's blood is boiling when she sees what the girl is up to, but Tiago manages to push her away before she can kiss him. He looks very irritated, says something to her, and then shoves her out of his way.

"What was that about?" Quinn asks when Tiago is back.

"She was just talking bullshit. Listen, why don't we go have a coffee somewhere and then head home? I'm not in the mood to hang out here anymore."

Quinn gets up and grabs her bag. "Sure. But what did she say?"

"Nothing worth repeating."

"Tiago..."

"She was just being a bitch about how a guy like me shouldn't limit herself and basically offering me sex, saying I wasn't getting any from you and I should get laid to play better or whatever. She doesn't exactly take a hint."

"What did you say?" Quinn asks curiously as they make their way outside.

"No, of course," Tiago frowns. "I told her I was crazy in love with you and that I was perfectly willing to wait, that you're my girlfriend and I love you and I'd rather die than sleep with anyone else."

"Aww, you're sweet," Quinn smiles when they get in the car. They share a look and then she leans over for a kiss. "Thanks for waiting, baby. I promise I'll make it worth your while."

She giggles when she sees the blush creeping up on his neck and cheeks. He's so predictable, but oh so adorable.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This is a bit of a filler chapter that also lies some links to later chapters. I've decided I'm going all the way with this - take them to college, marriage, a family, kids growing up, etc. So this one is far from over!**

**I've been abandoning my short-term plan for the past few chapters because I felt they had to build their relationship before taking the next big step, and you all know what that is. Keep your kids away from the next chapter, it _will _be NC-17 ;)**

**Finally, there's been an idea for a one shot stuck in my head for a little while now. The main idea is that Santana gets a tattoo in an intimate place, can't pay for it and offers sex instead. I'm undecided whether I should write it with g!p Quinn or with genderswap!Quinn. What do you guys think?**

* * *

Tiago tucks a strand of hair behind Quinn's ear before leaning in for a soft kiss. As happens so often lately, the soft kiss soon turns more passionate. Lips open, tongues collide, hands grasp the other person as they try to steady themselves. The kiss ends organically, and they both let out a soft sigh of happiness.

"Hi," Quinn grins, stepping aside to let her boyfriend inside the apartment. "I was just making coffee. Make yourself comfortable and I'll be right there."

Tiago and Quinn are taking advantage of a night alone in Holly's apartment. Holly's been seeing someone and the plan is for her to stay over at her place that night. It hadn't really surprised any of them when she admitted that the person she'd been dating was a woman. What they didn't understand was why Holly was being so secretive about her identity. Quinn hoped they would find out soon, because she was deadly curious about who could get Holly so hooked.

Quinn enters the living room, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. Tiago already has his own mug around here. Quinn has only lived with Holly for two full weeks, but it feels like it's been so much longer. She hasn't heard from her father, which is a good thing. But her mother hasn't tried to contact her either, and that stings a little, even though she's not sure why. She never really cared before, why does it hurt now?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Tiago asks, taking a sip and moaning in delight. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way. I'd marry you for your coffee-making skills alone," he winks playfully.

"It's nothing," Quinn reassures him. "I was just thinking about how it feels like I've been here forever, and wondering why my mom hasn't contacted me yet. I know he was on a business trip last weekend, it's the same one every year and he'd have to be dead for him not to go there. She was home alone for two days. She could've called me, or come over, or whatever. I just don't understand how someone can be like that."

"Can I be blunt?" Tiago asks carefully.

Quinn shrugs. It's Tiago, he can do pretty much anything and get away with it as far as she's concerned. With the emphasis on 'pretty much'.

"She probably took advantage of those two days to drink herself into oblivion. I only know your mom from what you told me, but I do think she loves you, she just has a weird way of showing it. Maybe she thinks it's easier if she cuts all contact. Maybe she's drinking rather than talking to you because she feels like she can't help you, and she doesn't want to give you false hope on having a relationship with her when she's been watched so closefully."

Quinn quirks an eyebrow. "Since when are you on her side?"

"I'm not on her side - this isn't even about sides. I just don't want you to think that your mom doesn't love you or want you. She's going about it the wrong way, but didn't she tell you to be happy? Maybe she thinks this is the way for you to be happy."

In a way, Quinn knows he's right. But that doesn't mean she's going to accept it. She's too busy being hurt and angry. She doesn't want to understand her mom - she wants her mom to get her act together and do what she should've done years ago. "I don't want to talk about it anymore," Quinn says, her voice clipped.

Tiago flinches. He hates when she uses that tone.

Quinn leans in for a peck on his lips. "Let's just enjoy tonight, okay? Coffee, a movie, just us. You make me happy, Santiago Lopez. Let's be happy."

He smiles, relieved. Quinn gets in the strangest moods sometimes and he's glad this isn't one of those times. He hates to see her suffer. He decides to go along and change the subject: "So, have you decided what college you want most?"

"I'm still undecided between Yale and Columbia, but I'm leaning more toward Columbia. Yale has been my dream for so long, but when I think about it, it's really been my father's dream. I feel more connected to Columbia, if that makes sense? What about you?"

"It does make sense. And I'm still all about studying psychology, I really hope I get into NYU. Wouldn't it be so awesome if you got Columbia and I got NYU?"

"It would be," Quinn grins. "And do you still want to be a cop some day?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking about psychology, then do a forensic psychology MA, then go to the Academy and be a cop. I'm going to try and sell a book idea by the time we get kids, so maybe I can stay at home and write books while you kick ass as a lawyer."

"You've planned far in advance! But I like the idea. It sounds amazing, all of it. The careers, kids..."

###

"...so, I was thinking you and I could catch a movie on Friday," Finn finishes a long ramble nervously.

Quinn closes her locker and sighs. "Finn. The football team is so not hot anymore. And even if it was - did you miss the fact that Tiago and I are together now."

Finn smiles that gassy infant smile, as Tiago calls it, and shrugs. "Oh, come on. You've known him for years. If you really loved him, you would've been together before. This is just because he's soccer captain and stupid Figgins decided we weren't good enough anymore when we're working our butts off."

"Well, that explains your giant ass."

Finn jumps up and turns around to see Tiago with a scowl on his face. Finn takes a step to the side, completely blocking Quinn from view. "What's that supposed to mean?" Finn growls.

Tiago shrugs. "You hardly worked. You got what you deserved. And for the record, hands off Quinn. She's my girlfriend, not yours."

"Oh man, as if she wants someone like you anyway," Finn scoffs. "Quinn wants a real man."

"You shut the fuck up and leave my girlfriend alone before I reduce your body parts to props for Glee and the biology classes."

Finn gives Tiago a confused look, trying to figure out exactly what he's saying, when Quinn pushes him away. "I'm right here, guys. What is it with guys pretending a girl isn't right there?"

Tiago takes Quinn's hand and leans in for a passionate kiss, obviously putting on a show for Finn. Quinn knows Tiago needs to do this and that backing away would hurt him, so she goes along with it. He feels the need to protect her, and if it makes him happy, she doesn't see the problem.

They end the kiss, leaving Finn dumbfounded. Hand in hand, they walk to the choir room. Holly and Mr Schue are discussing something when they enter the room. As they take their seats and greet the other Glee club members, Holly tosses Will's hat aside and they all snigger.

"Okay, guys. Duets, obviously, but this year we're going to add an element," Holly announces. The group waits in anticipation. "You're going to be battling another couple, so make sure that you have enough songs at the ready to blow us away next week! Because this assignment requires the ability to decide quickly in the heath of the moment, you can choose your partner. The next time we do this duets battle, you'll be teamed up with someone at random. Consider this practice!"

Tiago and Quinn share a look and it's decided. They wonder who they'll have to battle, but they're sure they're going to win.


	17. Chapter 17

Quinn leans in for a tender kiss, which Tiago returns eagerly. She lets go with a small sigh. "You have soccer practice after school, right?" she checks again.

Tiago nods. "Yeah. Wasn't it today you're going shopping with the Glee girls? If you want, I can just pick you up for dinner. My treat."

Quinn smiles. "Sounds great. Trust me, I'd rather hang out with you and kiss those smexy lips of yours, but if you're going to be running around on a field chasing a ball only to kick it away again, I might as well have a look around the mall."

Tiago feigns offence. "Do not mock my heart's passion!"

Quinn just sticks her tongue out, winks and finally tears herself away from him to get to her last classes. She motions that she'll text him and he salutes her like the dork he is. She smiles - the last weeks have been rough with the stress about college applications and getting herself through college, but he makes it better.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

"So, you and Tiago, how's that going?" Brittany asks as they're going through a rack of dresses, trying to find something they like.

"It's... perfect," Quinn smiles dreamily. "He's perfect. I can't even begin to tell you how much perfection goes in that one person. I love him," she giggles.

She blushes when she sees the amused looks on the faces of Mercedes, Tina, Brittany and Rachel - they conveniently forgot to invite Sugar.

"I must say I shared the elation of the group after being informed of your new romantic alliance. That poor Santiago had been expressing very deep feelings for you for quite a while in Glee, Quinn. Almost every song was so clearly directed at you that it made me wonder what was keeping him from pursuing your affections," Rachel said, nearly all in one breath.

Quinn shrugs. "I don't know why it took me so long. I'm just glad it happened. But enough about my love life! Brittany, how are you and Mike doing?"

Brittany grins slyly. "Oh Quinnie, I don't think your ears can handle that just yet."

They continue their shopping, but Quinn doesn't buy anything. She pretends that she doesn't see anything in particular she wanted. In reality, she'd have loved the one summer dress, but seeing the price tag made her think again. The Quinn of old would have taken it with her, but she has to think about college now. She knows her mother can never get enough money to pay her tuition and/or expenses, if she's not drunk enough to remember in the first place. She has to watch every dollar now if she wants to get through college with one job, so she can at least focus on her studies. She still hasn't figured out how to tell Tiago she won't be able to afford to share a flat with him. It's been their dream for so long and she knows it's going to break his heart.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

"So, what did you buy?" Tiago asks as Quinn gets in the car. He frowns when he doesn't see any shopping bags and reckons it must fit in her purse.

"You're a guy, you're not supposed to care," she teases him. "But I didn't buy anything. Didn't really see anything I liked."

Tiago frowns again. "I was in the mall the other day and this one shop had a dress on display you would have loved. I even considered buying it for you but I reckoned you'd be coming here today anyway so you'd buy it. It was that shop in the corner of the first floor, on the opposite side to the entrance."

Quinn closes her eyes for a second. That was the summer dress she'd wanted. "It must've been sold out by today," she says as Tiago drives away.

"Damn," he mutters. "Next time I'm just getting it for you, no protest. So, for dinner, I hope you don't mind but I went ahead and ordered us pizza. It's waiting for us at Johnny's Pizza Place. I got you an extra extra bacon."

Quinn smiles. "Awesome. Can we hang out tonight? I just want to spend time with you."

"Oh, you have no idea, princess," Tiago says mysteriously.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

Tiago drives away from the pizza place, back to their places. At least, that's what Quinn thinks. She frowns when he turns left instead of right, but figures maybe he has to go and pick something up at a store.

It's only when he's been driving the wrong way for ten minutes that she asks where they're going. "You do realise this isn't the way home?"

"Of course I do," he rolls his eyes. "You'll see when we get there."

"Okay, when will we be home? I just want to let Holly know so she doesn't worry."

"No need. Holly knows."

"What does she know?"

"You'll see."

Quinn feels a bit irritated that he won't tell, but decides to let it go. He knows she hates surprised, so that must mean it's something she'll really like - or he wouldn't be doing this.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

After three hours, Tiago finally seems to be getting somewhere. Noticing the signs, Quinn has figured out they're going in the direction of a lake.

Tiago indeed drives to the lake, pulling up by a small cottage. He gets out and goes to open her door. Quinn stretches her legs and enjoys the smell and sound of the water.

"What is this, Tiago?" she asks as he leans in for a kiss.

"This is the lake house my grandfather built for my grandmother long ago. She was suffering from mental issues and granddad took care of her the best he could. They'd come here so she could find some peace. You've been really stressed with college lately, and I know you're worried about it all, so I decided to take you here for the weekend. We can just chill out and spend some time together."

Quinn doesn't know what to say, so of course the first thing that comes out of her mouth is a practical issue. "But Tiago, I didn't pack a bag!"

He smiles and opens the trunk. "I wanted it to be a surprise, so I packed your bag. I didn't really have soccer practice. I asked the girls to take you shopping so I had time to get your stuff together. I know most of the stuff you wear and Holly helped me with stuff only women remember to take."

"I don't know what to say."

Suddenly, he turns nervous. "It's okay, right? You're not mad?"

She looks at him curiously. "Of course I'm not mad! I love this! But that doesn't mean I'm not going to kill the girls and Holly for all being in on something I wasn't," she teases.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

Quinn returns from the kitchen with a cup of tea. As she makes her way over to the couch, Tiago stops her. She frowns, but then he kneels on one knee, and she panicks.

"Tiago, what are you doing?" she asks. She loves him to death, but she's not ready to marry him just yet.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray, you are the love of my life. I know you're going to say it doesn't matter to you, and it's what your parents wanted for you, but I want you to have this. Just because you deserve it, and I know it'd make you happier than you are willing to admit."

"Tiago..."

He continues without caring about her interruption. "That's why I'm asking you to run for prom royalty."

She lets out a deep breath and then grins. "Do you mean that?"

"My knee is kind of hurting so I totally respect those porn actresses who sit on their knees all day, so yes, I mean that."

"Of course I want to," she smiles. He grins and gets up, lifts her up and twirls her around.

"I love you so much," he whispers in her ear as he puts her down. "So much."

They spend the rest of the evening cuddled up on the couch, reading and listening to music. The lake house doesn't have a TV and Quinn doesn't mind one bit.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

The next morning, Quinn wakes up first. During the night, she's managed to get entangled between Tiago's limbs.

She takes her time to look at him, taking away the cover to appreciate the sight. He's only wearing his boxers, and his magnificent body moves with his breath. She's only wearing a light tank and shorts herself.

She puts her hand on his neck and leans in for a soft kiss on his full lips. He crinkles his nose a bit, but doesn't wake up. Quinn moves her hand to his chest and enjoys the feeling. She touches his stomach, his abs, gets dangerously close to the waistband of his boxers.

She circles his nipple with the tip of her finger, holding her breath, expecting him to wake up. He doesn't. She allows herself to feel his tan body, feel his heart beating, and she's overwhelmed by her love for him.

The way he's lying there, asleep, he looks perfect. He's just so damn handsome, and so sweet, and so perfect, and in that moment she knows.

She's ready.

Her hand trembles nervously when she leads it to his crotch. She rests her palm on his dick, knowing their skin is only separated by the thin tissue of his boxers. He writhes, but doesn't wake up. She takes a deep breath and slips her hand inside.

She bites her lips as her fingers wander over his dick. It feels warm and soft at first, but soon she can feel it hardening. When she looks up, she can see his eyes are slightly opened. He's not entirely awake, but he knows what's going on.

"Quinn, are you sure?" he asks softly.

She nods. As if to prove herself, she brings her hands to the hem of her tank and takes it off. He's felt her up before, and they've been doing the dry-humping more than once, but he hasn't actually seen her topless so far.

His chocolate brown eyes haze over with lust. He reaches out to her and she scoots over to him, allowing him to cup her tits, explore them naked. She moans when he circles her nipples, and she doesn't know what's happening to her when he sits up, leans closer and brings his tongue to her nipple. He gives it a flick with his tongue, looks up for approval. She nods.

He licks her nipple now, holding onto her hip with one hand. He nips and sucks and Quinn can feel every fibre of her being on fire. It's as if every nerve ending is touched, stimulated, and she recognises that feeling in the pit of her stomach.

When he lets go of her, she doesn't give him the time to distract her again. They communicate in silence as she brings her hands to the waistband of his boxers and finally starts tugging at it. He works with her and she slides the garment over his legs.

She blushes when she sees his naked dick. She's never seen one before, not in real life and not on a screen. She catches the look in his eyes and can see how insecure he is, so she smiles at him and leans in for a kiss. He returns, clearly relieved.

She focuses on his dick again. She wraps her hand around the shift and he sucks in a deep breath. She has no idea what to do, so she lets her fingers wander over it, exploring it. He can see she's insecure, so he takes hold of her wrist and moves her hand up and down. She follows his lead, and continues doing so after he lets go. She's tugging at his dick now, squeezing it experimentally. To her surprise, it hardens quickly under her touch.

Going with her instinct, she leans down and kisses the head of his dick. He curses in pleasure when she licks it slowly. She wraps her lips around the head of his dick, and he throws his body back into the mattress. Quinn jumps up in a reflex when she tastes something funny on her tongue.

Tiago blushes fiercely.

"Tiago, I'm sorry -" she says quickly, panicking. Why did she have to screw up?

"It's okay," he smiles, still blushing. "It's okay. Maybe I can..." he motions to her shorts, and she nods.

With trembling hands, he takes it off. It's only now that the smell of her arousal hits her nose as well. He moves her onto the bed and leans over her, his hard dick brushing against her pussy. The feeling scares her and arouses her at the same time.

Tiago kisses her tits again, and then moves down over her stomach to her pussy. Carefully, he licks her outer lips. Her body seems to have a mind of its own and she spreads her legs wider. He licks her clit now, circles it with his tongue, applying light pressure. She groans and lifts her hips into him. He traces her pussy in a figure-eight, prompting her to moan and even curse. Finally, he slips his tongue inside of her.

She giggles at first, but the giggles soon fade. It feels strange to have this tongue there, but so good. He keeps massaging her clit, with his thumb now. At first, she's so tense that he barely gets through, but he takes his time. Gradually, she relaxes, and he can go inside more easily. A calming feeling overwhelms her.

He looks up, licks his lips, then kisses her neck. His hands move over her body, and she can't help but do the same. She fondles his dick, feels his strong back. He's rock hard, and she's so wet.

"Are you ready?" he asks, muttering against her lips.

She nods. "I am."

He takes a deep breath and places the head of his dick against her entrance. He wraps his hand around it and guides it inside ever so slowly.

Quinn gulps and squeezes her eyes. She knows he's doing the best he can, but goddamn, the more he goes inside, the more it hurts.

Just as she's about to stop him, he pauses. "Do you need me to wait for a second?"

She nods.

He smiles. "Okay. Don't worry. Tell me if it hurts too much, okay?"

She nods again.

After a few seconds, he continues. The longer he's inside of her, the better it feels. She even feels herself starting to enjoy it, and he goes inside more easily. She moans when he's finally fully inside.

Her pussy is throbbing now, clinging to his dick. He pulls out and goes inside again, slowly again. He repeats this a couple of times, making sure she doesn't get hurt. But Quinn is so goddamn horny now she probably wouldn't even notice if it hurt.

He leans on one hand, and brings the other to her pussy. He starts rubbing her clit again, and she can feel herself lifting into him, guiding him deeper. He fastens his pace, rubbing her clit. His hair clits to his head and he's sweating all over his body.

"God you're so tight," he moans. "So sexy."

Quinn lifts her lower body again, urging him to go faster. She can feel her pussy throbbing, it's so warm and wet and she wants nothing more than his dick inside of her. She moves against him, and he leans in to kiss her.

She's used to the feeling now, and she wants more. The only sound filling the room is their panting, and their kissing. She looks into his eyes and can see how much he's enjoying it.

She's so into it that it surprises her when she feels a strange liquid running inside of her. He's moaning louder than ever, and he seems to lose control over his motions. He's jerking and the strange sensation gives her that familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach. Just as he lets out a final long moan, she can feel her pussy trapping him, her walls fluttering around him. She buckles her hips into him and finally, she gets to the height of her orgasm. It's so much better than it has ever been before, and she's squeezing her eyes, holding onto him for dear life, scratching his back and closing her legs around his waist. She enjoys riding out her orgasm, and she giggles lightly when it's over.

Her stomach seems to flutter, and when she looks at him, she has never felt this much love for him before.

"That was awesome, Quinn," he kisses the spot behind her ear.

Suddenly, Quinn thinks back the liquid inside of her, and realises it was his sperm. "Shit! We didn't use a condom!"

Tiago seems to panic for a moment. "I know I don't have any STDs, I immediately got myself tested when we got together and with Charhead we used a condom. Shit, what if you're pregnant? Don't get me wrong, I want your babies, but we can't afford it right now and what if it means we can't go to college and we'll never be able to give the kids -"

"Tiago!" Quinn shuts him up. "We can get an emergency contraceptive pill later. You know, a morning-after pill? We'll be fine."

He takes a deep breath. "Yeah, we will." They kiss lazily again.

"Now that we've... made love," Quinn says nervously, licking her lips. "Do you reckon we can take a bath together? I just want to relax in your arms in a warm bath."

"You got it," he winks.

They make their way to the bathroom, but just before they get in, Tiago turns to Quinn and says: "It was totally worth the wait. I feel so close to you right now. I love you, I adore you, I worship you, I -"

"Will shut up and take a bath your girlfriend already," she says playfully. "And I love you too. I'm really happy you were my first, and I want you to be my last."


	18. Chapter 18

Quinn and Tiago are cuddling on the bed in the lake house. Her naked body is pressed against his. Quinn knows that she never would have thought skin-on-skin contact would feel this good. He's scratching her back lightly, moving his hand up and down rhythmically as she lazily draws patterns on his chest.

After a while, she looks up at him and smiles. He smiles back. They don't need words. She cups his face and leans in to kiss his soft, full lips. He returns the kiss, and soon they're lost in each other again. Quinn presses her body into his more firmly, and she catches her breath when she feels his dick hardening against her crotch, but they both know that kissing is enough right now.

"I don't want this moment to ever end," Tiago mumbles, looking at her with so much love in his eyes. It makes her heart skip a beat, and once again wonder how she had never seen before. Ever since she knows, every little gesture, every little look he gives her seems to scream his love for her. She knows realistically that they're still in their honeymoon phase, where everything about the other is perfect. She knows realistically that it will likely pass, and they'll get used to each other, and even get in fights. But when he gives her that look, and touches her like that, she's not so sure they'll ever be like that.

"Me neither," Quinn admits. "But I'm afraid this cuddling will have to end if we ever want to get to the store to get that morning-after pill. Speaking of which, I have an idea. One of us can go to the shop, and the other can stay here and prepare a picknick so we can take a walk around the lake and the surrounding woods this afternoon. And tonight, we can take the blankets outside and make a fire by the lake."

"Sounds like a great plan. Maybe I can go to the shop? I can bring matches and stuff for the fire as well."

Quinn looks at him. Yes, he is perfect. He knows how embarrassed she would be geting that pill. Then of course there's the simple fact that he knows the nearest town better than she does and knows where to get everything.

"I think we better get dressed now if we ever want to get out of this cocoon," Quinn sighs, getting up.

"Nobody ever said anything about wanting to go out if," Tiago pouts. "By the way, you will be pleased to hear granddad built some kind of gazebo-ish thing - it's more like a few poles with a roof over it and a floor and a table - where grandmom would draw. I can take a pen and some paper with me and write a bit there. You can do whatever - take a book, or take some paper with you to draw."

"Sounds like an awesome plan," Quinn grins. "And then tomorrow, I'm going on a run through the woods. We have Cheerios practice first thing Monday morning. Maybe we can go on a run in the morning, then clean up, relax a bit and head home after noon?"

"Perfect," he smiles.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

When Quinn is looking through the food Tiago bought yesterday, she can't help but worry about college again. She knows Columbia doesn't give academic, athletic or any kind of talent-based scholarships. Financial aid depends entirely on the students' needs, and she's not sure if she qualifies. Technically, her parents have the money and she knows her father would never admit to kicking her out.

She knows she has to talk to Tiago about this. He would be so angry if she kept it from him until the last minute. She remembers his reaction when they kicked her out and she didn't call him first thing. Just like then, she doesn't want to bother him with worries that aren't his. But she knows her boyfriend - not telling him will only make him feel worse in the end. She decides she won't ruin the weekend by bringing it up, though. He took her here to get rid of her worries.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tiago yells at the top of his lungs when he gets back. She smirks, shakes her head and walks over to the porch.

"Sorry," he grins. "Always wanted to say that."

Quinn rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless. She walks over to the car to help him unload and smiles widely when she sees he brought some more bacon. "For tonight, on the fire," he explains. "I brought some meat, figured we could have some kind of barbecue. Got all the necessary stuff."

"Santiago Manuel Lopez, you truly are the most perfect boyfriend around," Quinn says, leaning in for a deep kiss. He wraps his arms around her.

"You're pretty perfect yourself, Quinnevere."

Quinn leans back. "You'd never leave me, right?"

He laughs. "Of course not. You're the love of my life, no way I'm ever letting you go. Why do you ask?" his tone turns worried at that last question.

She manages a smile. "Just because."

She turns around and wants to walk inside when he puts his hand on her arm, much like his mother always does, and says: "You can tell me about it when you're ready and I'll be here to listen, alright?"

Quinn almost bursts out crying. "Thanks," she says softly.

TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ

Quinn is sketching the view on the lake and the surrounding woods, Tiago is writing something she knows she won't get to read until he asks for her advice. They're enjoying the silence when Tiago suddenly puts down his pen and scrapes his throat.

"This is really happening, right?" he asks out of the blue.

"What is?"

"Us. I mean, you're not going to suddenly say we were better as friends? We're really doing it? College, living together, getting married, having kids, a family... it's all really going to happen?"

Quinn thinks for a second. "Honestly? Yes. I can't imagine wanting those things with anyone else. I want you to be my husband, the father of my kids. I want to grow old as your wife. Why do you ask?"

He shrugs. "It's just that I've been dreaming about it for so long, you have no idea. For all these years, I'd write notebooks full of things I wanted to do with you, and see with you, and how much I wanted you. About the life I wanted for us. And I guess sometimes it feels a little unreal that it's happening, that you said yes, that you love me. This is literally a dream come true."

"Awww, that's sweet," Quinn smiles. "You know, people probably think we're young and we'll grow apart or something, but I don't think we will. I really think we were both lucky to find the love of our lives at such a young age. Holly never seemed really unhappy before, but ever since she started dating the mystery lady, she's just so different. I can't even explain, she's always been chirpy and happy and cool and fun to be around, but she seems a bit calmer now. Almost as if she's found some kind of peace."

"I really wonder why she won't tell you who it is she's seeing," Tiago frowns. "It almost has to be someone we know, or she'd just tell. But I can't really think of any lesbians in Lima her age... then I'm sure there are lots of them that just aren't out or something."

"It's also weird how she'll be hanging out at school longer," Quinn frowns. "You'd think if she was seeing someone, she'd be getting out of there as quickly as possible to meet up with her. But she's hanging around at school way past her teaching hours. She always preferred working from home or some coffee shop before."

Tiago suddenly seems to have an idea. "Oh my god, Quinn - what if Holly is dating a teacher?"

"But all our female teachers are either married or straight."

Tiago shrugs. "This is Holly Holliday. She's like a female, adult version of Puck and Brittany combined. She charms the ladies and the guys, she's quirky, and she doesn't seem like the type to be hold back by something like marriage or sexual orientation."

"Hmm, you're right - even though she does mean well, I think. So... Holly dating a female teacher. We'll have to be on the lookout, Tiago. Let's work out a schedule to spy on her."

Tiago laughs. "And then I'm the one who's going to be a cop."

"Shut up or no kisses and sex for a month."

Tiago shuts up and gets a new sheet of paper.


	19. Chapter 19

"Hey, Quinn."

Quinn turns away from her locker and finds Brittany smiling at her. "Hi, Britt. I'll take a look at your homework in a second, I'm just putting my stuff away."

Brittany pouts. "I was just gonna invite you, we're having a sleepover with all the Glee girls at Mercedes' house on Friday. Her parents are gone for the weekend."

Quinn smiles. "That sounds great, count me in!"

Quinn grabs her bag and they make their way to their next class, chatting about the girl's night and what they're going to bring with them. Brittany reaches her class first and they say goodbye with a hug, because that's just how Brittany says goodbye.

**TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ**

Quinn has always liked the structure and clarity of maths. She likes how it almost always stay the same, and how there's always a solution. She likes her math class, so it's rare for her not to pay attention to the teacher at all.

But she's worried. College is coming closer and closer, and she needs to find a way to pay for it. She already looked into getting a scholarship, but Columbia doesn't work with talent-based or academic scholarships. It's based on the needs of the students, and Quinn's pretty sure they'll take one look at her father's income and decide she doesn't qualify. She feels she can hardly tell them she got kicked out, because she'd have to tell them why, and it's too embarrassing. She doesn't want anyone to know what her parents are like.

And Tiago is so enthusiastic about NYU. His parents have been saving up all their lives so they could send their kids to college, and he'll have to work during Summers for himself, but his tuition won't be a problem.

Quinn finds it so hard to believe sometimes. Until a few weeks ago, she never thought she'd worry about how to pay for college. She can't believe she thought it was difficult to choose what college she'd be going to. She knows she wants to go to Columbia, though. Choosing another college is just not an option, if she gets accepted. She refuses to lower her goal for financial reasons, she knows she's going to regret it.

She wakes up from her thoughts when she feels her phone vibrate against her legs. She looks at the teacher to make sure he's busy and then fishes it out of her pocket.

**TIAGO**

**Meet me at my locker for lunch, Holly secret lover news. Love you xxx**

That makes her smile a little. It's just typical how seriously Tiago's taking this quest to find out who Holly's lover is. She supposes it won't hurt to get her mind off things. She also realises this is exactly the reason she's not telling him about her financial issues with college - he'd take it all on himself, worry about it all the time, and he'd lose this quirky enthusiasm she loves so much about him.

**TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ**

Quinn greets Tiago with a kiss and he wraps his arms around her to pull her closer into him. Quinn stops the kiss and feels his sigh against her lips. It frustrates her a bit how he insists on PDA when he knows she doesn't like it, but decides to let it go for now. They make their way to the bleachers, their favourite lunch spot when they want to be alone.

"So, did you find out who her secret lover is?" Quinn asks curiously.

"No, but we will soon. I was passing by the choir room earlier and she was talking to someone on the phone. She called them 'baby' and giggled, and - get this - they're meeting at Antonelli's on Friday night at 8 PM. So I thought we'd just drive by to take a look who it is, all innocently."

Quinn pouts. "I can't on Friday. We're having a girl's night with the Glee girls at Mercedes' place, it's a sleepover. You know, just watching chick flicks, painting our toe nails, talking about boys," she says teasingly.

"This might be our only chance," Tiago sulks. "Can't you call it off?"

Quinn laughs. "You can drive by yourself, you know. I'm not calling off a girl's night to find out who Holly's dating, we'd find out in time. It's been ages since it's been just girls getting together. It'll be fun."

"Fun for you, yeah," Tiago says, and she can hear the annoyance in his voice. "Why do you want to hang out with them all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?"

Quinn frowns. "... no. We're just having a girl's night. They're my friends. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that you're ditching me for your friends. Suddenly, I'm not good enough anymore? And this might be the only chance we have and I want to discover together because this is our thing, you know?"

"Oh, come on. The fact that I hang out with you just about every day must tell you that you're good enough. And I'm sure we'll have other chances to find out about Holly!"

"So you don't care? I thought this was something we were doing together. Most of the fun was that it was you and me trying to find out. And now you suddenly decide you have something better to do?"

"Seriously, Tiago? Are we really having this conversation?"

"When were you going to tell me anyway? When I asked you to come over on Friday and you'd tell me, 'lol no, I'm hanging out with my friends, like I even care about you'?"

"You're acting very childish right now," Quinn says with a clipped voice. "And I'm not arguing with you over this. I'm going to the sleepover, whether you like it or not. I thought I was dating a young man, not a little petulant boy."

"I'm not a -" Tiago begins, but Quinn cuts him off.

"Save it. I really don't need your pettiness on top of everything else. And also - stop with the elaborate kisses in public, you know I don't like PDA and you should really start respecting that instead of trying to trick me into it all the time."

"What, you're ashamed of me?" he asks, his voice strained. "You don't want people to know about us?"

"Oh, trust me, you make sure they all know. In case you haven't noticed, I'm an actual person, I'm not some kind of trophy. And you can't control me, so I'm going to the sleepover and I'm going to have fun with people who actually respect me. I'm going to a sleepover, that's it. Why can't you just accept that I want to do things with other people sometimes? Why can't you accept that I need to do some things on my own? I'm not a damstel in distress and you don't have to save me. I want you, even though I wonder why right this minute, but I don't need you, Tiago."

Quinn can feel the blood boiling in her veins and decides to just walk away before she hurts him even more. He protests and tries to stop her, but she shakes herself loose and struts to the school buildings, tears prickling in her eyes. She knows she hit some nerves, and she instantly feels bad for hurting him, especially since she knows he'll keep going over it in his head. How did this happen? How did this even happen?


	20. Chapter 20

Quinn lies wide awake that night. She keeps going over the conversation in her head, but she can't determine if he was really at fault and she was right being so pissed off, or if she overreacted because of all the stress she's under.

She looks up in surprise when her bedroom door opens. Holly appears with a cup of steaming hot tea and Quinn quickly puts on the light.

"You've been tense ever since you got home, you barely ate even though there was bacon and you've been getting out of your bed every twenty minutes to pad through your room. So I thought I'd bring you a cup of tea and we can talk about it."

Quinn smiles for the first time since the fight. "Thanks." She pats the empty space next to her on the bed, motioning for Holly to sit down as she sits against the headboard herself. She takes the cup of tea and sips before letting out a long sigh.

"So, since Tiago's not here, you're not there, and you haven't received a single phone call or text message, I assume something's up with him?" Holly starts.

Quinn nods. "We're having a sleepover with the Glee girls on Friday night and he got upset that I wouldn't be spending time with him. He started talking about how he's not good enough and I'm ditching him for my friends, acting like I don't care about him at all just because I want to spend time with other people for one night. I mean, we hang out all the time, you know?"

Holly nods. "Yeah, you guys are ridiculously close, always have been."

"And then he was also tricking me into PDA again and I got pissed off about that, too. I mean, he knows I don't like it but he keeps trying it. I mentioned it before so many times, but I never pushed it. I just don't like feeling like I'm on display. I kind of told him I'm a person and not a trophy. And then he concluded I was ashamed of being with him and didn't want people to know."

Holly combs her fingers through her hair. "Well, it sounds like he wasn't being entirely fair to you."

"I think I was a bit harsh," Quinn admits. "I mean, I feel like I had every right to be annoyed and pissed off, but maybe I some of the things I said were a bit over the top."

"He probably knows that, though. I mean, he's known you for so long, he probably knows you just get like that. He'll understand."

Quinn chuckles dryly. "This is Tiago we're talking about. Right now, he's repeating every single word over and over; he remembers every single thing. And he's probably feeling really sorry for himself, and he's probably also worrying that I'm going to break up with him. So he'll want to reach out to me, but at the same time he'll feel like I have to apologise before he can forgive me - because in his mind, he wasn't at fault at all."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Holly asks, empathy written all over her face.

"Part of me wants to go over to his place and just apologise. Part of me even wants to cancel girl's night and spend time with him. I just want him to be happy, you know? He's so great, and I want to be with him, I really do. But doing those things won't fix anything. I want to be able to go out with friends without having to worry about my boyfriend getting angry. And I can't just always give him what he wants. He has to know that he's wrong. And I think he's so focused on the things I said and how I said them that he completely loses sight of the real issue." Quinn's throat is tight by now. "I'm just under so much stress, and I told him I can't take his pettiness on top of everything else. It's just so silly that he's worried and angry that I'm going to be away for one night when I have real issues to deal with."

"Is this the college money?" Holly asks. "I know you said your parents disowned you. And I noticed lately how everything relating to college makes you feel uncomfortable and sad."

Quinn nods in surprise. "He thinks I'm happy to be away from my parents. I'm happy I'm not living that life anymore, I'm happy I can be with him, I'm happy living here. But I still feel rejected by my own parents. And I'm still scared that I won't get to go to the college I want because of the money. I haven't told him."

Holly sighs. "Why not?"

"I just... he's so sweet and dorky and enthusiastic. He's like a puppy sometimes, you know? He's innocent, he never had to worry about this stuff. And until recently, I didn't either. I don't want him to feel the way I do about it. I know he'd be worrying and trying to find ways to pay this for me and I can't let him do that. He'd do crazy stuff."

"I think it's important to talk to him, though. When your parents threw you out, you didn't either, and he felt so hurt. He thought you didn't trust him. Keeping this from him - it's going to come out sooner or later, and he'll only be hurt that you didn't trust him. You have to let him decide if he can handle these kinds of things. It's not fair to keep it from him because you think it's too much for him."

Quinn nods. "I know you're right, but still... I don't want him to lose that belief that everything will always be okay, you know?"

Holly smiles. "He's going to lose that sometime, especially if he's going to be a cop. He's a big boy. I think you should talk to him. If you apologise, only apologise for being a bit harsh, but make it clear to him that you still feel he was out of line. And don't cancel the sleepover, it sounds like you could use a night of light-hearted fun."

Quinn is biting back tears now. She nods. "Thanks, Holly."

To Quinn's surprise, Holly leans in for a hug. She hugs her back greatfully.

**TxQxTxQxTxQxTxQxTxQ**

Quinn has just sent Tiago a text saying that they need to talk and to ask to meet for lunch under the bleachers when her phone buzzes.

**TIAGO**

**We need to talk. Lunch under bleachers?**

Quinn feels a pang of pain in her chest. He always closes his texts with "love you" or at least a kiss. She reminds herself that he was in the wrong. The only thing she has to feel guilty about is that she was a little bit too harsh.

She sends a simple 'yes' back, hesitates a little, then decides to send another text, only saying she loves him. She's so relieved she wants to cry when he sends her back that he loves her too, and she's still his baby girl.

Morning classes are hell. They're crawling by slower than ever. Every minute seems to last a century. Quinn's trying to rehearse what she's going to say, and how, but she can't find the right way. She then decides to just let him talk first. She can't wait for the bell to ring for lunch, but at the same time she wants to prolong it.

After what seems like ages, the bell finally rings. Quinn almost storms to the bleachers, ignoring everyone she runs into along the way. When she gets there, she's not surprised to see Tiago already there.

He doesn't make a move to kiss her and he doesn't smile when she arrives. He barely looks her in the eye and just scratches his neck.

"So..." she breaks the silence. "Wanna start?"

He shrugs. "I just didn't realise it was a crime to miss you. I'm your boyfriend, remember? Just because I don't like being apart from you doesn't mean you can shit on me all you like."

Quinn takes a deep breath, reminding herself they're here to make up, not to fight. "We spend every day and night together. We're together all the time. Why is it such a problem for you that I'm going to a sleepover?"

He shrugs. "I just don't understand why you want to. I mean, you're enough for me, you know? All I want is you. I'm perfectly happy being with you every day, and I don't understand why I can't be enough for you."

"I want you too. And I'm sorry for being harsh on you, but I was really annoyed. I was just going to have fun and you made me feel guilty about that. And I've told you a million times to stop with the PDA, that I don't like it, but you still do it. That feels like you don't respect me."

"You refusing feels like you're ashamed of me," he counters. "What's the big deal? Why don't you want people to know we're in love?"

"First of all, people know. And I don't understand why that's so important for you. Why does it have to happen in public? Why is that so important?"

"I'm just proud of us, okay? I'm proud and I want to show the world, and you don't. I'm proud of being your boyfriend."

"It makes me feel like a trophy wife, Tiago. It makes me feel like you just want me to show off. I know that's not true, but it's how it makes me feel."

He nods. "Look, maybe... it's just... before I looked the way I do now, I was a total loser. Yeah, I was on the football team, but nobody thought I was hot or anything. I thought I'd never get a girlfriend. I thought you'd never want me. And I had all these ideas of us together, how we'd be. How it'd feel if you were actually proud to be with me. I never felt valued. And I thought if I'd have you, I would feel valued. Someone to be proud of. And now we are together, and I think I just want to feel valued and that you're proud of me. That you don't want to hide it."

"Okay. I guess I can kind of see what you mean. But the fact is still that it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I love you so much though," he says with a burst of passion. "I can barely keep my hands off you."

Quinn smiles softly. "You've managed to all these years."

"But I don't want to anymore," he says, his voice weak again. "I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want to pretend you're just my friend anymore."

"Okay. But there are other ways. How would you feel about holding hands and hugging and kissing in public, but no long kisses, and no French kisses? Could you do that?"

He sighs. "Yeah. I guess so. I'm sorry for overdoing it."

A silence falls between them, but somehow it doesn't quite feel resolved. Tiago breaks the silence by saying: "So... you're really going to the girl's night, then? Even though it hurts me?"

Quinn has to keep from rolling her eyes. "It's not about you. I just want to have fun."

"You can have fun with me."

"Not when you're being like this," she says sharply. "Sorry. Just... don't make this an issue? I don't want to be that girl who can't do anything without her boyfriend anymore. Besides, we'll just see each other on Saturday. And you can text me and I'll text you back. You can even call me if you promise not to call every five minutes."

"I obviously can't stop you. So, I guess I just hope you have fun at least. But I still don't like it."

"That's not my fault."

"And you don't care if I'm hurt or not, so I don't even know -" he begins, but she cuts him off.

"I do care if you hurt or not, but I can't just drop everything because you don't like it. I love you, but I don't want you to control me."

"It's not about control," he says frustratedly. "It's about missing you. It may sound silly to you, but it's not because you don't understand how I feel that how I feel doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does sound silly. And no matter how hard you try, you're not going to talk me out of going. I want to do this, and I'm sorry if it hurts you, but I can't just do whatever you want all the time. I need to be my own person too."

When he changes the subject, she knows he means that he can kind of see her point. "You said you couldn't take this on top of everything else yesterday. What's everything else?" he asks.

"This has been going on in my mind for a little while, but I didn't want to ruin your mood by telling you. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, I just wanted to protect you, but now I want to give you a chance to decide how you deal with it."

"Okay?"

"It's college. They kicked me out, Tiago, and it still hurts. I'm happy with you, I'm happy being with you openly and I'm happy living with Holly, but my own parents rejected me and that still hurts. And them kicking me out not only hurts, it also means that I haven't got a clue how I'm going to pay my way through college. How I'm going to pay the fees and living expenses and books and everything. It worries me. I really want to go to Columbia."

He looks horrified. "How didn't I think of that?" His first impulse is to hug her, and she wraps her arms around him gratefully. She loves that feeling of his strong arms around him, she loves resting her head on his hard chest.

"I'll find a way, Quinnevere. Don't you worry. I'm sory for being a dick, I promise I'll work on needing you so much. I love you," he whispers in her ear.

She smiles. "I love you too. And I need you, Tiago. I really need you. You keep me strong. Now kiss me."


	21. Chapter 21

Tiago lies on his bed, his hands folded behind his head. Quinn's head is resting on his stomach. They're both reading a book for their English class, but Quinn can't concentrate. Even though they talked about it, Tiago's reaction the girl's night still bothers her. Why is he acting so childish suddenly? It just doesn't make sense to her.

After having read the same sentence about twenty times, she groans and puts the book down. Tiago frowns at her and does the same. "What's wrong? Don't you like the book?"

Quinn smiles sadly - she'd give the world to have that as her problem. "Listen, I know we talked, but I still wonder why you hate the idea of the girl's night tomorrow so much. What about it bothers you so much? You've always been eager to spend time with me, but you've never been so extremely needy. It came out of nowhere."

Tiago sighs and doesn't answer for a long time. She knows he's trying to find a way to say what's on his mind. Finally, he speaks. "I'm not completely sure myself. The moment you said it, I just felt this intense panic. I know I was wrong, but you know I'm stubborn and even when I realise I'm not being fair, I'm too stubborn to actually admit it. And I know it's a cliché, but the first thing that I thought about when you mentioned girl's night was what you see on TV - girls talking about boys. Famous actors or singers or whatever and how perfect they are. And their boyfriends. I was scared you guys would be making fun of me, and I was scared you'd see what a loser I really am and break up with me."

Quinn frowns. "Why are you so insecure, though? I tell you I love you every day. We spend so much time together. I even gave my virginity to you, Tiago - I didn't do that lightly. So why would you be so scared?"

He shrugs. "My body has changed, I know that. I worked very hard for it, and then Mother Nature helped me out as well, but my neurological wiring is still the same. I'm still so insecure, even though I have the prettiest girlfriend in the world and am Captain of my soccer team and finally, everything seems right. It scares me that it's too good to be true, and then I worry that it won't last. And it's almost as if as long as I'm with you, physically with you, I can blind you to my flaws. But the minute you step back and discuss me with others, you'll see you want someone better, and I'm not there to defend myself or to show you that I love you."

Quinn leans up to kiss him softly on the lips. "I love you, Sir Lopezelot. And I know you love me."

He smiles at her. "You have no idea how much, Quinnevere. I'm sorry I got so insecure and I acted so childish. It was momentary panic - when you said you'd just be having fun, I got scared you don't have fun with me. And I felt so hurt by some of the things you said that I kicked back and got nasty. I'm sorry that I get so nasty when I'm hurt and try to make you feel guilty and shitty. When I feel hurt, I just kick back, and I keep kicking, and I shouldn't. I don't even know why I do that. Maybe I should see a therapist, would that make things better?"

Quinn thinks about that for a minute. "Your insecurity does have severe consequences. Taking everything you just told me into account, your insecurity made you act very childish and needy to a very annoying point, and it made you say things specifically to hurt me and make me feel guilty. That's not good. I don't love you any less - I've known you for a long time. I'll keep loving you. I'm not telling you that you have to see someone, and considering everything we haven't been a couple for that long. We're still figuring it out, right? I mean, we're gonna stay together, but we're figuring it out. And I forgive you, Tiago, as long as you promise to think twice next time. If this keeps happening, maybe you can go see someone. But if you do, it has to be because you want to."

He nods. "I don't want my insecurity to ruin what I have with you. I feel uncomfortable talking to someone about it - I'm the kind of guy to write it down and lock it up. But I'm sick of feeling that way, and I want to stop it. For me, and for you. You deserve better. So I might see if Ms Pilsbury can refer me to someone. The insecurity is so stressful and it makes me so paranoid, I don't want you to have to put up with that."

Quinn suddenly feels pensive. "I'm not breaking up with you, and I never will, but I'm just wondering... do you think if we did break up, we could go back to being best friends?"

Tiago thinks about that for a while. "Honestly? No. I'm sorry, but I've been in love with you for so long and now we're finally together, and I don't want to go back to just being friends. Because I know I'd still be in love with you. I don't think I could handle you dating other people, marrying someone else, starting a family."

Quinn grins. "Well, that's good, because I'd still be in love with you too. And you're the guy I want to date and marry and start a family with. On the family department, I think we should start practising. If we practise a lot now, our babies will be all the more perfect," she winks.

He smirks. "I approve of this."

They both put their books away and get rid of their clothes. The sex is silent, but intense, and very loving. Every caress is so tender, and at the same time grinding against his strong body makes her so horny and hot for him. She loves how they work to together to reach that point where it almost feels like they're melting together, that one moment in which they are ultimately united, in which they are one. She'll never get tired of that, certainly not with her Tiago.


	22. Chapter 22

My dearest, sweetest Tiago,

I know the past few days haven't been easy. It's the first time we've really argued as a couple and it felt like shit. We both said some pretty mean things to each other, but we talked it out. I'm glad that we did, and I'm proud of us for getting through it alright.

But I have to apologise more profoundly. I'm under a lot of stress, and trying to keep it from you was even more stressful. I'm sorry that I kept it from you, honey. I shouldn't have, and I'm glad that I told you. But I was wrong to act out my frustrations on you. I was wrong to say so many of the things I did that I don't know where to begin.

I could try to explain. I could tell you that I felt annoyed at your reaction, and that I felt that you were acting like your problem was the end of the world when it was so small compared to mine. But how could you know? I hadn't told you. I acted out. I hurt you. I'm sorry for hurting you, because I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in this world. You're the most important person in my life, and we were both wrong, not just you.

I know in the talks we had afterwards, I was blaming you too much still. I felt wronged and I was too consumed by my own feelings to see how very much I had hurt you as well. I'm sorry for that.

I'm writing this as you are asleep in your bed. I couldn't sleep, even though I was in your arms. I love being in your arms. I was lying awake, thinking about you. When we had the fight, I couldn't sleep that night either. Holly noticed that I was up and she came in with a cup of tea, and we talked. I told her what had happened and how I felt - I didn't tell her that we're spying on her, though ;) And I also told her that you'd probably be going over every single thing I said, and remember every word, and how you'd torture yourself with it. I know that words that would hurt someone else cut so much deeper with you. I know you're so much more sensitive than you let on.

So I decided to tell you that all those things I said don't make me love you any less. I overreacted, I was too harsh. My frustrations were real - about the behaviour and the PDA - but I reacted disproportionately. I want you to know that even though you can be needy, and even though you don't take 'no' for an answer easily, I still love you. I know that you can be moody, needy, overprotective, insecure and jealous. I know those things, but I love how you trust me and don't pretend nothing's wrong when there is. I know how hard it is for you to talk about your feelings, and that you prefer writing them down. I appreciate you telling me. And those dark sides? I love them too, because they make you you. I don't love you despite your flaws, but for your flaws. You're a real person. You're not perfect, but you're perfect to me. I wouldn't want a perfect guy, because that perfect guy just wouldn't be you. He wouldn't be my Tiago.

I love how quirky you are. You like strange and absurd things, and are absolutely not ashamed to discuss them with me. You have such a broad imagination, it can take you anywhere - and I know you're modest about it, but you have such a way with words to describe the things you imagine. I love how enthusiastic you can get about something that would be silly to someone else. I love how caught up you get in your adventures, like the quest to find out who Holly's girlfriend is. I love how full of life you are. I love how doting and sweet you are when I don't feel well. I love how I know that you would drop everything to come to me if I texted you that I needed you. I love how caring you are, how heartfelt. I love how genuine you are. I know you will make a great husband and an amazing father. You'll be the kind of father whose children have fond memories of him. Our kids will adore you, Tiago.

We will fight again, because we will be together for many years to come. But I promise you now that I will always fight for you, for us.

If there are any things I said that you want to talk about further, no matter how painful - please do. I want to clear it all out. I love you, I want you, I cherish you, and I need you in my life.

xxx always your Quinn


	23. Chapter 23

Tiago stops the car and gets out to quickly walk around the car and open Quinn's door before she gets a chance to do so herself. He even makes a silly bow before making his way to the trunk, where he gets Quinn's bag.

Quinn smiles and rolls her eyes, following him. "Such a gentleman. Are you expecting something from me?" she teases.

He gasps in mock offence. "How could you suspect me of such horrible intentions? I am a most noble man!"

Quinn laughs. She leans in, muttering "Shut up" against his lips before kissing him softly. He drops the bag and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer into him. She wants to let go, because she fully expects at least some of the other girls to be watching them from the living room, but Tiago continues the kiss and she doesn't exactly mind kissing this sexy man.

Finally, they have to let go for air. Tiago rests his forehead against Quinn's and smiles. "I love you a lot, Quinnevere."

Quinn cups his cheek and then decides to give him another kiss, just for the smile on his face. "I love you too, sir Lopezelot. But if you don't let me go now I won't want to go in anymore," she teases.

He tightens his hold of her. "Well, in that case..." he jokes, but then lets go. Quinn can see he's trying not to pout and she has to admit it tugs at her heartstrings a little.

"Cheer up," Quinn smiles. "We'll see each other tomorrow for lunch, okay? We can even go to McDonald's and have a burger, and then work it off at night," she winks. "We can't put up too much weight, with my cheering and your soccer..."

Tiago grins. "Sounds awesome. I'll spend the morning thinking up... exercises," he says, obviously trying to be mysterious, but subtlety has never been his strong point.

"Alright," Quinn says, licking her lips. She can't resist and kisses him again. "Now you go and find out who's managed to tie Holly Holliday to her undoubtedly fine self for this long, Detective Lopez."

"Will do. I'll let you know as soon as I find out. If you need me at all, you can call me, alright? You can call me or text me whenever."

"I know," Quinn nods. "And I will."

00-0000-00

Quinn is welcomed with whoops and catcalls.

"So much passion," Tina says dreamily. "You guys are so great together!"

"And the way you were saying goodbye, you'd think you were going away for a month," Mercedes teases. "Hot damn, girl, that boy is crazy about you!"

Quinn blushes and can't help but giggle. "He is. And I am about him. Now, where's the nail polish and who's going to braid my hair? I'm all up for a classical cheesy girl's night, conforming all stereotypes for once."

00-0000-00

Rachel is talking about Finn, so Quinn quickly zones out. She smiles to herself, gets out her phone, and sends her boyfriend a text.

QUINN

I'm thinking you, bumblebear. I love you lots & can't wait to hold & kiss you again! xxxxxxxxxx Quinnevere

She immediately gets a response.

TIAGO

Thanks for the text :D It means a lot to me. Love you too! Waiting outside he restaurant until Holly + secret lover arrive. Love you baby girl xxxxxxxxxxxx

00-0000-00

Tina is decorating Quinn's nails and they're chatting about the guys they like/their boyfriends. They've just interrogated Mercedes about their relationship with Sam, dubbing them Samcedes, after having first harrasses Brittany about Mike. Then Rachel announces it's time to hear all about 'Quinntiago'.

"So, what feelings are stirred inside you now that Santiago and you have finally formed this romantic bond he has so obviously been dreaming of for many years?"

Quinn rolls her eyes, but smiles to indicate that she's only kidding. "Well, it seems like everyone knew he was in love with me but nobody thought it'd be a good idea to tell me."

Brittany shrugs. "We all thought you knew but just didn't feel the same. It was kind of hard to miss the kicked puppy looks he'd be giving you."

Quinn blushes. "Yeah. Kinda missed that. He's great, though. He's so sweet it's like he's from another planet sometimes. He can be so super cheesy and it's so cute. Like all the stuff you read about in girl's magazines that girls wish their boyfriends would do? Or those perfect guys in the movies? That's Tiago. Just the other day, he bought me flowers and when I asked him why he told me it was because I was pretty and because he loved me."

Rachel sighs. "That is so romantic. I wish Finn was more like him at times. Finn isn't selfish, he's just..."

"Selfish," Brittany finishes for Rachel with a frown. "Get rid of him, Rachel."

"This conversation is focused on Santiago," Rachel says quickly, turning back to Quinn. "Is he also very focused on his passions?"

Quinn smiles. "Yeah. He reads all the time, we actually do that together a lot. I'll just be lying next to him or against him and we'll read for hours. He also still likes writing, but he doesn't get much time for it. Of course, he's also thinking about soccer a lot. He's the Captain now... Luckily, soccer practice and cheer practice overlap a lot of the time. And no matter how busy he is, he always makes time for me. Every morning, he texts me 'good morning' and then adds a nickname or a pet name or just baby girl. And he sends me tons of pictures and weird thoughts or ideas he gets - if he doesn't just tell me because we're together."

"Yeah, how does that work?" Tina asks. "I mean, your parents don't know, right? I thought they hated him."

Quinn takes a deep breath. She hesitates, then looks around the room and decides she trusts everyone there. "Okay, girls... nobody else can know this, so swear you won't tell."

They all quickly swear.

"My parents kicked me out a few weeks ago and I've been living with Ms Holliday since right before the school year started. I still spend the night at Tiago's a lot, or he spends the night at Holly's place, because it's only two blocks from his house."

That leaves Quinn with a lot of explaining, and she doesn't really feel like. Luckily, Brittany notices how uncomfortable she is and quickly interrupts the dozens of shocked questions. "That's too depressing now, guys. Let's talk about boys again. And more importantly, the topic we haven't spoken about so far... How big is dick and how's the sex, Quinn?"

Quinn blushes, but this is better than having to go through the pain of talking about being kicked out. "Well... I can't really compare his size. But he said an ex lover said he doesn't have to worry about his size, and his size is fine to me, so..."

Mercedes bursts out laughing. "He said that? He actually said a girl told him not to worry about his size? You might have a special guy, but that is so typical for guys!"

Quinn blushes again and laughs it off. "I don't know, okay?" she shrugs, smiling. "I haven't exactly measured. But I'm happy. I'm satisfied. He waited a long time too. I wasn't ready for sex at first and he totally respected that, and our first time was so romantic. He'd taken me to this cabin by a lake his granddad built for his grandmom to to and rest and find some peace. He'd taken me there because I was stressed, and we just relaxed all weekend, and the first night we had sex. It hurt at first, but it was amazing. And we've been doing it quite a lot since and it's great."

"Details, Quinn," Brittany says, with entirely too much interest. "How many times? And how long does he hold out? What's his style?"

"Brittany!" Quinn laughs uncomfortably. "I have to keep some things private... anyway, you've heard all about Tiago now. Tina, tell us, who are you into?"

00-0000-00

Quinn's phone vibrates and she knows it's probably Tiago. The content of the text surprises her, though.

TIAGO

Okay. Okay. WOW. You'll never guess who Secret Lover is.

QUINN

I won't, which is why I need you to TELL ME RIGHT NOW.

TIAGO

It's just... WOW.

QUINN

Santiago Lopez, tell me right now or no sex for a week.

TIAGO

Easy, easy. It's just, I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea of Ms Holliday and Ms Pilsbury being a couple very much in love...


	24. Chapter 24

Quinn has the hardest time keeping a straight face when she puts her phone away. Ms Pilsbury? She had never seen that one coming, especially not since she was so convinced that Ms Pilsbury was in love with Mr Schuester.

00-0000-00

When Tiago picks her up around noon the next day, Quinn immediately leans in for a kiss. She'd been a bit worried that he'd be bombing her with texts and calls, but he only called her once and sent two texts to see how she was doing and if she was having fun.

Tiago lets go to catch some air, but Quinn doesn't let him, deepening the kiss even more until even she has to lean back. She grins at him. "My detective Lopez," she winks. "Wow. It's so weird yet so awesome!"

Tiago grins at her cockily. "I haven't told anyone, though. I mean, of course everybody already knows I can find out anything, so no need to brag," he jokes. "Seriously, though. I don't want to go around and tell everyone. I reckon they'll make it public when they're ready?"

Quinn tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and nods. "Yeah, I didn't tell the girls either. I also don't want Holly to know we know - just act surprised when she tells us. It'll be our little secret."

Tiago nods. "Now let's go have that burger."

00-0000-00

When they're having their junk food, Quinn decides it's a good a moment as any to bring up something that's been bothering her since their fight.

"Hey, Tiago," she begins.

He smiles at her. "Hm?"

"Do you remember what I told you about PDA? That I didn't like it very much?"

He nods slowly, his smile faltering. Her heart sinks, but if she wants to make herself clear and she has to go through with this. "I've noticed you haven't really toned it down," she says carefully. "I know you said you'd try, but nothing seems to have changed."

"Why does it bother you so much, though?" he asks, sounding a bit annoyed. "Don't you want people to know we're together? Are you ashamed of me?"

"We've had this conversation before," Quinn says, trying her best to stay calm. "It's not any of those. I'm very proud to be with you - would I have been hanging up all those posters for our prom king and queen promotion if I wasn't? I'm just a very private person. You know that. I'm fine with a cuddle or a peck in public, but the heavier stuff? I like to keep it just for us. I don't want to share that intimacy with anyone but you."

He looks like he's about to give her an angry response and she already braces herself for an arguement, but he seems to change his mind and just says: "Fine. Whatever. I'll try harder, okay? I'm sorry."

She smiles - she knows how hard it is for him to control his anger when he feels strongly about something. "Yeah. I didn't want to berate you, Tiago. Just... reminding you."

"Yeah, fine. I love you, Quinnevere."

"I love you too, sir Lopezelot." She leans in closer, over the table, so she can whisper in his ear. "And I can't wait until we're home and we can work these calories off."

When she sits down again, she notices his wide grin and that he's blushing. She smirks. Mission accomplished.

00-0000-00

Quinn and Tiago say hello to his parents, but Maribel and Guillermo are working in the garden anyway. Quinn takes Tiago's hand and leads him upstairs. As soon as the door closes behind them, she kisses him with a passion, pushing him against the door. She knows he's surprised, but she doesn't care as she starts taking off his shirt. He soon joins her and raises the edge of her white ruffled shirt. She kicks off her pumps and he helps her out of her jeans.

He starts kissing her neck as her fingers find the hem of his jeans and boxers. She pulls them off in one go and pushes her body against his, smirking when she feels his hardening dick against her pussy. He kicks off his shoes and reaches around her to unhook her bra and with a smooth move he's obviously been practising, he gets rid of her panties. She's fully unclothed and he's only wearing his boxers.

She sits down on the edge of the bed, spreading her legs wide. He looks at her wide-eyed - she never takes this much initiative. He bites his lip, suddenly realising his parents are outside. He quickly runs to the window and closes it before going back and leaning down to kiss his girlfriend on the lips. She grabs Tiago's hand and guides it to her pussy, rubbing his hand up and down against her slit.

She moans softly and grins her hips into his hand. Tiago knows his girlfriend well enough by now to know what her sounds and reactions mean, so he slips two fingers inside of her and uses his thumb to rub her clit in slow, wide circles at the same time. Quinn moans and Tiago knows what to do: go faster. He rubs her clit faster and faster, at the same time pumping his fingers in and out of her pussy. He bends his head and sucks on her nipples, until he feels them harden against his tongue.

Quinn is so overwhelmed by the sensation that she falls back on the bed. She extends her hand, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling him down with her. Quinn notices his bulging erection. She brings her hand to his crotch and she can feel his dick hardening in his boxers. She pushes his boxers down around his ankles, takes his dick in her soft hands and palms him, stroking him firmly from base to tip, rubbing her fingertips across the very tip of his dick. She knows it's the most sensitive part of his dick and he groans, trying very hard not to be too loud.

Her pussy becomes wetter and wetter, sucking his fingers inside and jolting in pleasure with the motions of his hand. He whines softly and she knows that sound - he's dying to be inside of her but he waits until she guides him inside, just to be sure it's what she wants. She brings his dick closer to her entrance and looks him in the eye. He grins, nods and pulls his hand away. The tip of his dick is now resting against her soaking pussy and she wraps her legs around his waist, holding him to her as he thrusts his hard dick inside of her throbbing pussy. He pushes inside and starts pumping in and out of her, her pussy contracting and fluttering around his dick. They're both so into the moment, and Quinn can feel her pussy tightening around his dick when she finally comes. After a few seconds, Tiago comes as well, filling her up with his soft seed as he moves inside of her.

Quinn sighs heavily and pulls Tiago down beside her, ruffling his hair as she can feel her pussy settling down. "That was awesome, Tiago," she grins. "And I'm sure your parents didn't hear," she winks.

He blushes. "Oh God. I hope not."

They lay next to each other for a little while, just enjoying the sensation of their naked skin touching, basking in the cuddles. Then Quinn licks her lips and asks innocently: "Can we go again?"

Tiago grins. "Duh."

00-0000-00

That evening, Quinn has dinner at Tiago's place and she texts Holly to let her know that she'll be staying the night. Tiago and her watch some TV on his room, all cuddled up. Despite his window being open, his room still smells a little of the sex marathon they had that afternoon.

00-0000-00

Quinn has just put her bag down and thrown herself on her bed in Holly's appartment when her phone rings. She expects it to be Tiago, because he does stuff like that, and doesn't check the caller ID.

"Hey, bumblebear. If you need more where that came from, I'll have to disappoint you - I'm spent for now."

"Something tells me you were expecting your boyfriend instead of your sister," Fran says dryly on the other side of the line.


	25. Chapter 25

Quinn feels absolutely mortified. Her face burns and she curses herself. She swallows, but her throat is dry. "Fran," she says, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Yeah," her sister replies, just as dryly. "I take it that means that you really broke with the good Christian girl thing entirely?"

Quinn has no idea what to say to that.

"Oh, come on, where's my snarky little sister?" Quinn can almost hear Fran pout. "Look, I know what happened with mom and dad. Mom told me. You're better off, Quinn, trust me. And you're finally together with Santiago! If it'd taken you two seconds longer, the boy might have spontaneously combusted."

Quinn closes her eyes and sighs in relief at Fran's reaction to the news. "I'm really starting to think everyone and their dog knew he was in love with me and I was the only one who had no clue. Why did nobody ever feel the need to tell me this before?"

"Well, everyone but mom and dad - luckily. And honey, I think we all just assumed you knew too. He was kind of obvious, with the big eyes and the dreamy stare. You've always been more rebellious than me, more independent. I also had the luck that they approved of my friends and my boyfriends. But I was no good girl in college, let me tell you."

Quinn turns around and sighs. "Yeah. You got to go to college. I can forget about Columbia, Fran. All I can do is move to NYC, get a job as a waitress and at least make money so I can live with Tiago as he goes to NYU."

"That's what I'm calling about, actually," Fran says, and Quinn can hear the excitement in her sister's voice. "David and I are opening up a branch of Fabray/Hale in New York. We're visiting in two weeks to meet up with some people and discuss things. I'll be visiting you in Lima. I have an offer for you."

"What kind of an offer?" Quinn asks, so confused she completely forgets to congratulate her sister with the expansion of her law firm.

"I'll discuss it with you when I'm there," Fran says decisively. "But stop worrying about college. Take this offer, and you're going to Columbia."

"But Fran -"

"Oh, look at the time! I really have to go. Bye! See you! Call you later for time and place!"

00-0000-00

The first thing Quinn does once she's recovered from her shock is call her boyfriend, telling him that Fran called and she needs to see him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tiago asks, his voice laced with worry.

"Yeah, yeah," Quinn says. "She's not like my parents. But I need to see you, Tiago. It's such a weird story."

"Alright. Listen, my aunt and her family are visiting. They don't seem to get that I'm with you and they keep trying to tell me about these 'nice Latina girls' they know, I need to get out of here. Let's meet up at the Lima Bean, alright?"

"Okay, see you there in an hour?"

"Okay. I love you, baby girl."

"Love you too," Quinn smiles, even though she can't see him - she still feels her stomach fluttering when he says that. "See you in an hour." She ends the call and goes to her desk, writing a quick note to Holly to let her know where she's going. She leaves it on the kitchen table before she leaves.

00-0000-00

When Quinn arrives, Tiago is already waiting at their regular table with two steaming cups of coffee. Quinn is fully prepared for an intense kiss and a complete disregard of her dislike of PDA, so needless to say, she's pleasantly surprised when he only gives her a peck on the lips.

"So," he says as he sits back down. "What did Fran say?"

Quinn shares her sister's cryptic message. She expects Tiago to frown and be just as suspicious as she is, but he surprises her again by smiling widely and looking as if he just won the lottery. She loves that he can still surprise her, even though they've known each other for most of their lives.

"That's great news," he says excitedly. "You get to go to Columbia, Quinn! We can share an flat or a studio or a room or whatever puts a roof over our heads in New York City! Our dream is coming true after all!"

Quinn smiles at his enthusiasm and puts her hand on his. "We don't know that yet, bumblebear. It depends on what her offer is. I know Fran, and I know she's not unreasonable, and of course I'd love to go to Columbia - you know all that. But I don't want to get my hopes up in case it turns out to be nothing."

He nods. "So, do you have cheer practice tomorrow morning?"

Quinn shakes her head. "After Glee, so I won't be coming to see you at soccer practice."

Tiago smiles. "I have a surprise for you tomorrow," he says proudly. "I wasn't going to tell you, but since you brought it up..."

Quinn perks up. She loves surprises. "You mean the Glee assignment, right? I don't bother preparing anything most weeks, it's always the same ones performing anyway."

Tiago pouts. "That's really too bad, I love your voice! Hey, we should do another duet together sometime soon."

"Deal," Quinn grins. She loves singing with her boyfriend - their voices sound great together and they don't need words to communicate most of the time.

He gets up to take their empty mugs back to the counter - he always insists on that. She checks him out - he looks so goddamn handsome wearing just a pair of dark jeans and a dark blue hoodie. He checks his phone on his way back, strands of his jet black hair falling before his chocolate brown eyes. He laughs at something, exposing his pearly white teeth. She admires his full lips and immediately longs to kiss him again, and seeing the light stubble on his face she can't help but think about the feeling when it rubs against her inner thighs when he eats her out. She flushes at the thought.

When he comes back to the table, he leans in for a kiss on her cheek and whispers in her ear: "Let's go home and practise our baby-making skills. Or, you know, cuddle and watch -"

"No," she interrupts him as she gets up and straddles his waist, leaning in for a kiss chaste, but promising kiss. "We're doing the first."

00-0000-00

"You know, I would be perfectly happy to spend the rest of my life cuddling with you, kissing you and just generally worshipping your body and soul in every way possible," Tiago says. He has his arms wrapped around her and buries his nose in her hair.

She's typing away on his new MacBook Pro, since Lessa had managed to drop his previous one when trying to sneak it out of his room. Quinn frowns at the thought, still not believing that Lessa had actually thought he wouldn't notice his baby being a millimeter out of place. Or simply that it was possible to guess his crazy passwords.

"I know," she replies distractedly. "I also knows Coach would kill me if she knew I was doing this so last-minute." She turns her head and smiles at him teasingly. "You've been keeping me from my job as Captain."

"I'd say I was sorry," Tiago says slowly, then shrugs. "But I'm not. You've been keeping me from my job as Captain by simply breathing."

Quinn rolls her eyes good-naturedly and gets back to writing the training schedule for the Cheerios for the coming week. When she's finished, he surprises her (again) with a confession. "You know," he begins. "I only begged my parents to let me play soccer so that I could impress you. I wanted you to notice me being the best at something, and you know I was a really scrawny kid so I was 100% convinced I'd never grow a body fit for football. I really just wanted you to admire me. All those hours I slaved away on the soccer field, the hours I made my dad practise with me - all for you."

Quinn blushes. "Awww, that's so cute! You really have been in love with me for forever, haven't you?"

He nods and kisses her. "My life is perfect. I'm sure Fran's offer will be great, we'll both go off to college, we'll live together and be in love, so my life is perfect."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Well, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I noticed I had written this and then completely forgotten to post it! I hope you enjoy this chapter. The next update, as promised to a lovely Twitter follower, will be a chapter for "Primitive". I'm not sure which to update after that - "Young & Restless" or "The Queen & Quinn". What do you guys think?**

**I'm also taking this opportunity to do some promoting: I'm organising Quinntana Week 2013, so please go and visit the tumblr (quinntanaweek2013)!**

* * *

Quinn wakes up to the sensation of a very familiar hand cupping her breast and a thumb circling her nipple through her thin shirt. She smiles, but keeps her eyes closed. "Really, Tiago? Are you molesting me in my sleep now?"

When she opens her eyes, he's biting his lip and does his best to look guilty, but fails quite miserably. She quirks an eyebrow and he laughs, leaning in for a soft kiss. He then tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and says: "Am I supposed to be sorry for being attracted to my sexy as fuck girlfriend?"

Quinn smirks and wraps an arm around his waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Tiago always sleeps in his boxer shorts only, and Quinn's only wearing a thin shirt and panties. She wraps a leg around his waist and pushes her pussy against his dick. She grinds into him slowly and moves her mouth to his ear. "Why don't you show me just how sexy you think I am?"

She licks the spot behind his ear she knows gets him going - and receives the exact response she wants. He puts his hand on her neck and leans in for a passionate kiss, his tongue soon exploring her mouth. She can feel his dick hardening massively inside his boxers. He moves his other hand downwards to peel off her panties. She lifts her hips willingly, assisting her gorgeous boyfriend. He slides his fingers inside, massaging her clit with his thumb and entering her with two fingers. She groans and tugs at the hem of his boxers, pulling them down to his knees. He kicks them off and turns them over so that he's on top.

She wraps her legs around his waist, locking her ankles on his lower back. He keeps fingering her and runs his other hand along her back, pushing her body into his, his hard dick rubbing against her inner thigh.

"Please, Tiago," she whispers before sucking lightly on his earlobe. He grunts and removes his finger, pushing his hard dick inside her already throbbing pussy.

He starts pumping into her at a steady speed and she uses all her strength to push herself into him. Every time he fills her entirely, her clit bumps against his pelvis. They kiss occasionally, but need the air to breathe too much. Quinn feels that familiar feeling building in the pit of her stomach and increases the pace, pushing her hips into him, throwing her head back in pleasure.

"Quinn, I'm home!"

Shit. Holly's home. She was supposed to be going out for breakfast and then go shopping.

Tiago freezes for a second, but then Quinn begs him not to stop. She's so damn close and this feels so damn good, he just has to finish. Tiago pumps into her again, as fast as he can now, hoping to get her off before Holly catches them in action.

"Quinn! Are you there?"

"Don't you stop," Quinn whines softly, deciding to take matters into her own hands. She flips them over and positions her hips at a different angle, throwing herself at him. She muffles the sound she knows he will make with a full kiss on his lips. The kiss soon turns sloppy. She's surprised when he reaches out and puts his hands on her hips, pushing her down onto him as he bucks into her, finally filling her up. The surprise is enough to bring her over that edge.

She can feel the orgasm rippling through her and closes her eyes as she loses herself in the feeling. After one final thrust, he quickly pulls out of her and positions them as if they're spooning. "Close your eyes and pretend to be asleep," he whispers in her ear as he throws the cover over them and wraps his arms around her.

Just that second, Holly knocks on the door. "Quinn, are you okay?"

Quinn is still panting and has trouble controlling her breathing. She frowns when she feels Tiago getting out of the bed. She turns around and sees him putting his boxers back on before walking over to the door. He signals for her to pretend to sleep again, then opens the door as little as possible, sticking his head through it.

"Quinn's asleep," he whispers. "She had a bad dream earlier and I thought I'd let her sleep."

Holly sniffs and frowns, but then shrugs. "Okay. I was going to ask her to join me to the shop in case she needed anything, but we can just go this afternoon."

"Yeah, sure," he smiles as she turns around and starts making her way toward the kitchen.

"Oh, and Tiago?" Holly says off-handedly. "Maybe you can open the window, get rid of the smell," she winks.

Tiago shuts the door, his head beet red - mortified. He crawls back into bed, spooning Quinn. "Oh God," he mutters. "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God."

Quinn turns around to him and reads his mind. "Holly knew we're having sex. She gave me the safe sex talk, told me to go see a doctor and ask him about the safest pill for me to take. It's embarrassing but she won't forbid you access to the appartment or anything."

Tiago nods, noticeably relieved. "Still," he mumbles. "It's embarrassing to know your teacher knows you're having sex with the girl she took into her home - knows you're having sex at all."

Quinn rolls her eyes good-naturedly. Tiago can be so cute in his endless worrying. "It's Holly Holliday," she reassures him. "She doesn't judge."

Ten minutes later, when they're getting ready for the day, Quinn's pretty convinced she can still hear him mutter 'Oh God' from time to time.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Tiago asks for just about the millionth time. "I can totally sit somewhere in the back where she can't see me. I'd be there in an instant if you needed me."

Quinn chuckles. "I'm meeting up with my sister, Tiago, not with a psycho serial killer."

Tiago frowns. "With your family, I'm not sure the difference is that clear."

Quinn gasps in fake shock and gives him a playful slap. "This is Fran we're talking about, not my parents. The conservatism luckily seems to have skipped a generation. Fran, Charhead and I were always way more open-minded than our parents."

"And I'm glad for it," he smiles. "But you can't stop me from shopping for new gloves in the mall. If you need me, just text me and I'll be there. Like maybe you can prepare an 'SOS' text and then you just have to hit 'Send' or something."

"Alright, you idiot," she laughs. "I'll do that. We really have to get going, though. Are you driving or am I?"

"Well, I bet you're really nervous about this, so it might be better if I drive."

Quinn grins. "Which is Tiago-speak for 'I'm so nervous please drive'?"

He blushes. "Pretty much," he admits. He reaches to take her hand as they leave the appartment and make their way toward the car.

Twenty minutes later, they arrive at the Lima Bean branch inside the mall. Fran is already there. Tiago gives Quinn a questioning look and she nods, so he joins her as she makes her way over to her sister.

Fran is beaming and stands up to hug her sister. "It's been too long again, Quinnie," she says warmly. "Now who is this handsome stranger you brought with you?" she asks, giving Tiago an approving once-over.

"This is Tiago," Quinn smiles. She's not that surprised that Fran doesn't recognise them - it's been years since Fran last saw him, and Fran's not big on social networking sites so she wouldn't have seen any of his recent pictures online.

Fran's eyes go wide. "Oh. My. God. Little Santiago Lopez? Is that you?"

"Yeah?" he says awkwardly. "It's been a long time."

"Totally," Fran grins. "I always suspected Quinnie didn't care about what dad told her and went ahead to see you anyway. So, you're her boyfriend now... you better be treating my sister right!"

"I probably know more about her than you do, as I spent pretty much every day with her the last couple of years."

Quinn gives Tiago a surprised look - she had no idea how he felt about Fran. She gives him a questioning look, and she can see that he even surprised himself. Fran has the decency to blush and takes a step back. "It's... complicated. I don't think I have to explain myself."

"No, you don't. I know all about your home situation, having been by Quinn's side for all these years. I've been supporting her through the insanity."

"Okay, well, this is getting a bit awkward," Quinn interjects. "Just a minute, Fran?"

Quinn pulls Tiago to the side. "What the hell, Santiago? I have no problem with my sister and I had no idea you do! She's here to help me, remember? It sounded like she can get me through college and I'd appreciate if you tried not to ruin that by being mean to her."

"I'm sorry," he says, and she knows he means it. "The words were out before I even thought them. I just... she's your sister, she knew your situation, and she just left you there."

"As opposed to what? Take me with her to university?"

Before Tiago can answer, Fran taps him on the shoulder. "Hey, Tiago, I totally get you feel protective of Quinn. She was your best friend for years and now she's your girlfriend, and I haven't exactly been around for her when I should have been. I know Quinn cares a lot about you so I'd love to talk out any hard feelings you have toward me, but I'm afraid I'm on a pretty tight schedule today."

Quinn can see the protest in his eyes, but is glad to see him swallow and attempt a smile. "Okay. Yeah. Sure." He seems to hesitate a little, then adds: "I'm sorry, Fran. I was out of line."

She gives him that same Fabray smile that made him fall for her sister and says: "Maybe, but I won't deny any of it."

This situation is getting more awkward by the minute, so Quinn steps in again. "So, Tiago, you better go and look for those gloves, alright?"

He smiles. "Yeah," he says. "I should." He leans in for a short peck on the lips and then gives her a quick hug. "See you later."

Quinn is more than happy to notice how he's working on toning down on the PDA. Not that long ago, he'd have gone for the full-blown kiss.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Quinn," Tiago says as soon as they meet up at the car. "I mean, sure I've been a bit annoyed because she knows what it was like and didn't try to get you of there, but I really didn't mean to just be rude to her like that. I really want to talk it out with her, she's your sister and possibly will get you through college and I'm really sorry -"

Quinn shuts him up with a kiss. "I know. I know you can be a bit impulsive, Tiago. What you said isn't okay, but this is Fran, she'll get over it and you guys will get to talk. In fact, she invited us over to New York for Christmas. Her and David are going over there in a few weeks and spending a month there, setting up the new branch. They're staying at a place, it belongs to one of David's college friends who's out of town for a while. She invited us, and you guys can talk then, work out any issues you have."

Tiago nods and smiles, obviously relieved. "Okay. I'm sorry again. Anyway - what did she say about college?"

Quinn smiles widely now. "Well, the good news is that if I take her offer, I can go to Columbia and share a flat with you."

Tiago is just as excited. "Okay, so what are the conditions?"

"I'd have to sign a contract saying that I will work at the New York branch of Fabray/Hale during Summer breaks, and that after graduation I will work there for five years. After that, I get the choice to stay or go work somewhere else. In return, they pay my way through college. She assured me they can afford it."

"Wow," Tiago grins. "That's great! You're gonna do it, right?"

"I told her I needed to think about it, but I'd let her know as soon as possible."

"Well, what's holding you back?"

"I don't like being dependent, as you know. And it would mean I'm tying myself to New York for quite some time in the future already, and I need to know that you're okay with us living there."

"Well, yeah, you'd depend on her, but it means going to college, Quinn. Realistically, you don't have that many options. I'm pretty sure your dad won't pay your way through college. He'd probably make you break up with me and try to set you up with some douchebag son of one of his friends as a condition or something. Wait - that's not what you want, right?" he asks, suddenly sounding insecure.

Quinn laughs loudly. "Of course not! I'd never break up with you, even if it meant having to live in a box. Seriously, though, you're right. I can't pay the money myself and if I have to take it, I'd much rather take it from my sister than from my dad."

"Also, it means that you have a secure job for at least five years already. I'm totally fine with us being in New York all that time. I mean, I've dreamt of living there for ages. And as long as I'm with you, I don't even care where I am."

"What about your dream of going to the FBI Academy, though? It's 4.5 hours between New York and Quantico by car," Quinn says worriedly.

"Well, it's not set in stone I'll go to the FBI Academy, right? Sure, I'd love to go there, but we have time. Things might turn out differently for me as well. You never know what opportunities I'll get or what road college will take me. And even if I do end up wanting to go there after graduation, I'm sure we can work something out."

"You're sure about this, Tiago?"

"100%, Quinn."


	27. Chapter 27

For the first time in ages, Quinn feels nervous when she opens the door to Tiago's home. Tiago has a large family - gigantic. Quinn has lost count of the amount of relatives she's met and she can't keep those apart who don't visit regularly. That night, Tiago's uncle Alfredo - his father's oldest brother - turns 60. Alfredo Lopez is an important man, and his birthday dinner will be a formal one. Quinn is invited too, and for the first time, she'll meet his family as his girlfriend - at least those that don't visit very often. Everyone knows about Quinn being Tiago's best friend - she spent so much of her time there people kept thinking the Guillermo and Maribel had taken her in.

"There you are!" Maribel smiles as she puts the last plate back in the cupboard. She looks around as if to see if anyone else is around and then steps closer to Quinn, putting her hand on her arm. "I need to talk to you for a second, Quinn. Follow me."

Quinn frowns at Maribel's sudden change of demeanour. Maribel is leading Quinn to the pantry, walking very slowly and silently, looking around her all the time. When they get there, Maribel motions for Quinn to close the door. Quinn does as asked, pursing her lips in confusion. What is going on?

"Quinn, you love my son, right?" Maribel whispers loudly.

"Uhm... yeah. You know I do. Why? Did he do something weird again?" Quinn wonders out loud. With Tiago, you never know what to expect.

Maribel chuckles softly. "No, no. Okay, now that we have established that you love him - does that mean you love him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in -"

"Are you, like, proposing to me on his accord? This is weird, Maribel. Why are you asking me this?"

Maribel smiles. "Well, you know my boy. He tries, but he's not exactly... handy. God knows how he manages with soccer. Anyway, you know tonight's dinner is formal. The kind of formal where the men were ties. My Guillermo still can't tie his own tie, and unfortunately, God has given Tiago that same... trait. Whenever it's been necessary, I've been tying his ties. But you're his girlfriend now, Quinn, and with being Tiago's girlfriend comes the Tie Responsibility. Now as you well know, Tiago does not like to admit that he can't do certain things. You remember the barbecue."

Quinn nods. She can see where this is going.

"So," Maribel continues. "Are you up for the task of learning how to tie his tie? This is the perfect opportunity for you to learn. Do not underestimate this. It's not only the technique, you need the persuasive skills as well to actually make him allow you to do it for him."

Quinn laughs at Maribel's dramatics. "I'm up for it, Maribel. By the way, I didn't bring a dress with me, I left my formal dresses with my parents when I left. There were in another room and I never thought about getting them."

Maribel nods. "Yes, about that. Tiago is well aware of that fact, and he's also aware of the fact that you're not in a position to go crazy with clothes shopping. We all know that Holly and I and even your mother as I understand it would make sure you could get a beautiful dress, but that you're too proud to ask any of us, which I frankly can only understand in your mother's case. Anyway, Tiago knows that as well. He went and bought you a beautiful red dress. Please accept it. He sold lots of his old Pokémon cards and other geek stuff to get the money together, and you know how attached he is to his stuff."

Quinn raises both eyebrows in perfect unison. She does indeed know that he doesn't part easily with the silliest objects because they always remind him of something. She also remembers Pokémon was a really big deal to him. She actually tears up a little that he did that for her. "I will. Thanks for warning me, I would've told him I can buy my own dresses."

"He tends to be very overprotective, as you know. I know you're an independent young woman and you can take care of yourself, and he knows that too, but for the sake of both you and him, allow him to spoil you sometimes. It makes him so happy, you make him so happy."

Quinn smiles. "Yeah. Thanks again, Maribel." She wraps her arms around Tiago's mother and gives her a warm hug. "You're the best. And so is your son."

"Yeah, we are," Maribel winks. "But don't let him hear it."

00-0000-00

Quinn is rudely pulled back from her book when Tiago loudly shouts: "Ta-da!"

Quinn closes her book and gets up, trying to get a good look at his computer screen. When she arrived in his bedroom, he'd been working on their campaign poster for prom royalty. He'd refused to let her see it until he was finished, though. So Quinn had picked up a book she'd found lying around and settled on his bed.

She wraps her arms around his neck from behind and kisses his cheek before looking at the screen. Quinn recognises the picture of them he used - it was made especially for this purpose, and it had taken hours of Guillermo taking different pictures again and again before Tiago had been happy with the result. The end result looked great. He'd worked with her favourite colour combination - baby blue and soft white. He'd also played around with brushes in Photoshop, but luckily he'd toned it down a bit compared to his usual creations.

Quinn smiles widely. "That looks awesome, Tiago. How about we take it to get copies on Monday so we can put them up next week or maybe the week after? We can put them everywhere."

Tiago turns around, looking so enthusiastic it melts Quinn's heart a little. "Sounds awesome. And you look so pretty in the picture, too. I mean, not that you don't look pretty in real life, it's just that in this picture you'd look extra beautiful if that was possible, which it isn't really, but I just meant that -"

"I get it," Quinn cuts him off, chuckling softly. They've been together for a good while now and still he'll ramble nervously around her when he thinks he's insulting her. Which he never really is. "Thanks, Tiago. That looks awesome." She looks at the clock. "We should probably get ready, though. Why don't you take a shower first, it doesn't take you as long."

"Okay," he nods, getting up and stretching after being hunched over his computer for that long. "Oh my god, I almost forgot! I got you something," he smiles proudly. Quinn fully suspects he's talking about the dress, but acts as if she doesn't have a clue. He'd be so disappointed if he knew that she already knew. And besides, she hadn't seen the dress yet.

He opens his closet and moves some clothes. "Damn, where is it?"

"Where is what?" Quinn asks innocently.

"Just a minute," he mutters. He goes into the hallway and shouts at the top of his lungs: "Mooooooooom!" Maribel opens Alessa's door, which is right next to Tiago's. Quinn follows him into the hallway.

"No need to shout like that," Maribel berates him. "What's wrong?"

Tiago looks over his shoulder at Quinn and seems to think for a second on how to handle that. He then walks into Alessa's room, to his little sister's shocked protest. "Tiago, I don't want you to see my dress yet!" Quinn can hear her say.

The door opens again, and Tiago's head appears. "This is top secret, Quinn. You can't hear a word yet, so I have to test how much you can hear through these walls. I will close the door, say three words, and then ask you to repeat them if possible. It is vital that you are honest with me."

Quinn quirks an eyebrow. It's so obvious where Tiago got the flair for dramatics from. She decides to just play along, though. He's a silly goofball, but he's her silly goofball. He closes the door, and then he opens it again. "Okay, what did I say?"

"Um... I have no idea?" Quinn says honestly. "I really can't hear."

"Awesome," he smiles.

A few seconds later, Maribel and Tiago come out of the room. Maribel walks over to her own bedroom and Tiago follows her when he stops abruptly, turns around and looks at Quinn suspiciously. "You didn't hear anything, did you?"

Quinn laughs. "No, I didn't. Get on with it!"

Before Tiago can follow his mother into her bedroom, she reappears, a beautiful red dress in hand. Quinn gasps in surprise - it looks very expensive, definitely more than Tiago can afford with the money he'd get from selling a few Pokémon cars and other things.

"Why did you move it?" Tiago asks his mother.

"Because you left it in the box and I had to make sure it looked decent and not the tiniest bit wrinkled for tonight."

"That's not my dress," Quinn points out, playing her part. "What is this?"

Tiago smiles at her, beaming. "I bought it for you. It's for tonight. I hope you like it!"

Quinn swallows. "I... I love it. It's an amazing dress, Tiago."

Tiago is still smiling, looking mighty proud of himself. "I thought it'd be your taste, I'm so happy you're into it!"

Quinn isn't sure what to say to that, but luckily Maribel is onto her. "Why don't you two go shower so you can try it on, Quinn?"

"Us two?" Tiago frowns. "Like... together?"

Maribel rolls her eyes. "Of course. There are other people who need to shower and I'm your mother, Tiago. I'm older and wiser than you and I sure know what those condoms in your underwear drawer are for."

Tiago goes beet red. "You looked in my underwear drawer?"

Maribel smirks. "Do you think the laundry flies in there by itself? Of course I look into your underwear drawer. And really, boy, you're going to have to work on your subtlety. That is just about the most cliché hiding place I can think of."

"Oh god," Tiago mutters, looking the other way. "Oh god, oh god, oh god."

Quinn takes his hand and leads him to the bathroom as Maribel goes inside Tiago's bedroom with the dress. As soon as they close the door to the bathroom behind them, Quinn stands on tiptoe and gives her boyfriend a soft kiss. "It's fine, Tiago."

"It's fine?" He looks at her with wide eyes. "First Holly, now my mom... Does the whole world know we have sex?"

Quinn shrugs. "We've been together for a little while know. It's not like it's such a big secret."

"Maybe, but I just wish people would stop pointing out that they know. This is so embarrassing."

"Then let's wash that embarrassment off. I can't wait to try on that dress and see what magic your mom can work with my hair."


	28. Chapter 28

Tiago's lips cover Quinn's own as they try to muffle the sounds of their moaning. It's probably not the best idea to be having shower sex with just about the entire Lopez family upstairs, but how can Quinn be expected to resist when Tiago gives her that look, and then that kiss in just the right spot?

Quinn closes her eyes and wraps her legs tighter around Tiago's hips. He has one arm around her, holding her up against the wall, pounding into her and rubbing her clit with his other hand at the same time. She loves being stretched out by him, feeling completely filled up. She's so damn close and juts her hips forward at the precise moment Tiago decides to do the same thing, and the pleasure the jolt brings is so much more than the slight sting of pain. Quinn comes around Tiago's dick in a quivering mess, and he kisses her through it. Only a few seconds later, she can feel him coming inside of her as well.

He lets go of her lips to get some air and is grinning like an idiot. "I love it when you come before I do," he admits.

Quinn blushes. It's slightly embarrassing how easily Tiago can make her come. She winks and says: "I guess you're just that good, baby."

He gently pulls out of her and then guides her legs down so that she can stand on her own two feet again. Quinn is still slightly shaking from that orgasm, her pussy still throbbing as Tiago guides her under the shower head. She's still regaining her composure when he turns off the water, squeezes shampoo in the palm of his hand and starts washing her hair. Quinn smiles - when they shower together (usually only at Holly's place) - he always insists on doing that. She remembers the first time he tried - she had to practically talk him through it because he was so awkward and clumsy - but now he's become an expert.

* * *

"I'm going to teach your girlfriend how to tie a tie," Maribel states. "So you're going to stand still and allow her to learn. That means no fidgeting, capice?"

Tiago nods, slightly intimidated by his mother's stern tone. They're in his bedroom and he's just been informed of Quinn's new task. He doesn't mind one bit.

"First, I'm going to show you how to do it. After that, you can try for yourself, alright?" Maribel asks Quinn, frowning a little when she sees that Quinn actually has a notepad in hand.

"Okay, so there are nine steps to this," Maribel starts. "First, you position the tie. You start with the wide end of your tie on the right. The wide end should be below the narrow end on the left, about this long." Quinn takes a look and jots down: _Wide end (right) 12 inches below narrow end (left)._

"Now you cross the wide end over the narrow end. Then you bring the wide end around and behind the narrow end. Once you've done that, you bring the wide end up, pull the wide end through the loop and to the right. You bring the wide end around front, over the narrow end from right to left. Now you bring the wide end up and through the loop. After that, you bring the wide end down through the knot in front. Finally, you use both hands to tighten the knot carefully and draw it up to the collar. Simple as that!" Maribel smiles brightly.

Quinn frowns, thinking to herself it doesn't look all that simple. She reviews her notes while Maribel unties Tiago's tie. Quinn bites her lip, unsure if she's going to be able to do this, having only seen it once. Maribel knows Quinn well enough by now and says: "I'll show you again, okay? Then you can try for yourself."

Quinn nods gratefully. She's a quick learner, but needs to learn all the same.

* * *

Lessa insists on watching Maribel taking care of Quinn's hair, stating that she wants to be part of the 'girl moment'. Quinn's already wearing the beautiful red dress Tiago bought for her. They're sitting in Maribel and Guillermo's room. Guillermo and Tiago are downstairs, polishing their shoes.

"It's a really pretty dress, Quinn," Lessa says for the thousandth time. "Did Tiago really buy it for you? He does give really good gifts. He always gives me cool stuff for my birthday, I can never complain about that. But he can be really annoying too, you know. And he can be such a mopey-face."

Maribel smiles and rolls her eyes. "Consider yourself lucky to have him as a brother, Lessa. I'm sure you could've done worse."

Lessa shrugs. "Maybe. But I am so awesome that I deserve an okay brother. I should probably hate him, though. I mean, every girl in my class who has a brother or sister hates them."

"It's good that you don't hate him," Quinn says. "Siblings should stick together. Family is all you have, Lessa."

"You got kicked out by yours but you seem to be doing pretty well."

Maribel glares at Lessa through the mirror and Lessa immediately blushes profusely. "I'm sorry, Quinn, I didn't mean it like that."

Quinn smiles sadly. "They're my parents, Lessa, not my family. This Lopez bunch here is my family. If I got kicked out by you guys, then I'd be really sad and heartbroken. It wasn't nice to be kicked out by my parents, but I never liked them that much anyway."

Lessa looks relieved that she didn't make Quinn cry. Quinn is Lessa's great example and she wouldn't want to make her sad or angry. "Yeah, and now that you and Tiago are boyfriend and girlfriend you're, like, my sister, right?"

Quinn smiles and nods. "Exactly."

"I'm really happy you're boyfriend and girlfriend now," Lessa grins. "I get to have a big sister, and Tiago isn't so moody anymore. He's such a macho, just like daddy. They act angry so we wouldn't think they're sad."

"You are entirely too smart for your own good, mija," Maribel says with a quirked eyebrow. "You are going places, reading people so well at your age."

"I guess I got all the smart genes from you, mommy," Lessa says, batting her eyelashes.

"And such a kiss-ass too," Maribel frowns. "What do you need?"

"Rain check?" Lessa tries.

"Now where did you learn that," Quinn laughs. "You know, your mother is right. You are going places. I'm sure that one day, you're going to make everyone so proud."

* * *

"Wow," Tiago finally breathes out, his eyes wide. "I - words," he mumbles. "None." His eyes are wide as he stares at Quinn, wide-eyed. "Beautiful, fantastic, perfect..."

Quinn blushes, looking down at her feet. She just put on her shoes, her outfit now complete. Lessa had been sent to get Tiago so Quinn could show off the dress. The red definitely works well with her hair and skin tone. Maribel worked her magic with Quinn's hair, slightly curling it and putting most of it up but also leaving a few well-chosen strands dangling.

"You look pretty handsome yourself in that suit, Tiago," Quinn smiles. It's the first time he's wearing a suit and actually filling it out.

Maribel is watching her son and his girlfriend - she'd never admit it, but she has tears in her eyes. "Oh, the two of you make such a dashing couple!" She wraps an arm around her husband. "Just like us, back in the day!"

"Well, you still look dashing to me, honey," Guillermo smiles. Quinn thinks to herself that's where Lessa gets her kiss-ass ways from. "I'm going to make my brothers so jealous. My son is the most handsome one, and he's got the prettiest girlfriend as well," he boasts. "Their sons don't come anywhere near Tiago."

Guillermo doesn't often verbally acknowledge his pride of Tiago and Quinn knows how much this moment means to him.

"About my cousins," Tiago says, scratching behind his ear, trying to find a way to say this politely. "They can get quite... obnoxious, if you know what I mean. You're crazy beautiful, Quinn. They're going to hit on you even though they know you're with me, and a couple of them aren't likely to give up."

"Don't worry, I can stand my ground. Besides, I've met most of them, haven't I?"

Maribel laughs. "Not by far, Quinnie, not by far. The entire Kentucky branch of the family tree will be there too. You haven't met most of them because we only see them ourselves on these big family gatherings, and those are family plus partners only. You were his best friend before and we did try so Tiago could take you and have someone there, but it was never appreciated and we didn't want to put you under that kind of scrutiny and hostility since they didn't want friends there. They're a really weird bunch, I'm warning you. Guillermo and Alejandro are the only ones who came out of that nest halfway sane."

"I'm not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult," Guillermo wonders out loud. "But don't worry, Quinn. You've been his girlfriend for a little while now, you'll be introduced as his girlfriend, so they won't be as hostile. Maybe some of them will try to vet you, but don't worry about that. You won't see most of them very often.

* * *

Quinn's cheeks are positively hurting from all the smiling. She's been introduced to all of the Lopez family present, and there are a lot of them. She had attempted to count them, but had to give up when she reached number fifty-seven.

Most of the other wives, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends of Lopezes are hispanic as well, and Quinn is one of the few white people there - a fact that some distant cousins had felt the need to point out. Luckily, there were only a few, so she could easily avoid them the rest of the night.

"So, Quinn, is it." Quinn looks up and sees a guy she's been introduced to a little while ago. She believes his name is Ramon, but it could also be Tony. She's not sure.

"Yes," she smiles once again. "I'm Tiago's girlfriend."

"So I heard," he smiles cockily. "You know, pretty girl like yourself, you can do a lot better than Tiago. I'm actually surprised he got himself a girl like you, I always thought he was a faggot."

Quinn isn't sure how to respond to that. Obviously, she's beyond offended - not only did he belittle her and insult her boyfriend, she doesn't appreciate the homophobia either. But she's new in this family, so she can't tell him to fuck off, can she?

She clears her throat, stalling while trying to find a diplomatic answer. "I love Tiago. There's no better than him for me, and I can assure you from personal experience that he's not gay," she says with a pointed look. "What did you say your name was again? I'm meeting all these new people and you don't particularly stand out," she smiles sweetly, unable to refrain herself from adding an insult.

He looks annoyed with her and doesn't answer. Instead, he chooses to walk away, which is really just fine with Quinn. She sighs. He's about the tenth guy who has come up to her and tried to chat her up.

The Lopezes hadn't lied - this is indeed a very fancy dinner in a very fancy hotel. It's not really their scene, and while it is definitely Quinn's parents scene and she has experience in this kind of setting, it doesn't mean that she likes it. She's met a bunch of family members now, and Maribel wasn't wrong when she said that Guillermo and his cousin Alejandro are the only ones who came out halfway sane. These others remind her very much of her own parents. She can't help but notice the irony that while they have the same stuck-up attitude, her parents wouldn't want to be seen within miles of these people, bigoted as they are. She takes a sip of her glass of wine and looks around, wondering where Tiago is.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met?"

Quinn turns to face another of Tiago's endless amount of cousins. This one actually resembles Tiago a little bit, but he looks like he's a few years older than them. Mid-twenties, she guesses. He seems nice enough so far.

She smiles. "I'm Quinn - I'm here with Tiago? He's my boyfriend."

The man smiles and shows off a set of pearly white teeth. "There a few Santiago's in the family. Quite a common name, so it's not unusual that a family this large would have a few of them. Which one is the lucky guy?"

"Guillermo's son?" she asks, unsure if that's of any help. "Guillermo, Alfredo's brother... married to Maribel? Tiago has a baby sister as well, Alessandra."

The man nods, and Quinn would swear she detects a hint of annoyance in his voice when he replies. "Ah, yes, I see. Well, about time he got a girlfriend. I'm Matias - one of Tiago's many cousins. I came all the way from New York tonight."

Quinn nods. "Tiago and his family went to New York a few months ago for a family event, I believe? It was before Tiago and I were dating, I wasn't invited along."

"Ah, yes, that tradition," he smiles, rolling his eyes. "Quite silly, if you ask me. I would've been much happier to tag along to these family events back in the day if I could've brought a friend. Not much luck on the girlfriend department, I'm afraid."

Quinn is just wondering how she can phrase her curiosity as to why he had such bad luck - since he seems handsome and charming enough now - when Tiago appears by her side. "Matias," he greets his cousin coldly. "I see you've met Quinn."

Quinn quirks an eyebrow at Tiago's tone. What is that about?

Matias' smile falters and he narrows his eyes a little. "Tiago. Yes, I have. She seems lovely. We've been chatting a bit, we seem to be getting along great. I was about to ask her to get out of this place and join me for a drink, so we could become... better acquainted, if you know what I mean."

Quinn quirks the other eyebrow. _What the hell is he talking about?_

Tiago smiles, but Quinn can see the anger and pain through it. "I suggest you stay away from my girlfriend, Matias Lopez."

"What's the matter, Santiago? Afraid you won't be able to keep her when she's confronted with so many better options?"

Tiago sets his jaw and Quinn can see how much trouble he has staying civil. He wasn't wrong when he said a lot of his cousins were obnoxious. Are they really all that bad? It's so strange that these people are even Tiago's family. Guillermo, Lessa and Tiago are nothing like them.

"Matias." For once, Quinn recognises the man who's speaking. It's Tiago's uncle Alejandro. "I suggest you stop right there."

Matias frowns and looks like he's about to protest, but then decides against it. "No problem. It's about time I go and see what Isabella is up to anyway."

Tiago glares at him, still keeping his mouth shut, as Matias walks away. Alejandro lets out a long sigh. "Isabella is his girlfriend," he explains. "The question is only for how long. We all know that he physically abuses his girlfriends and is a massive control freak with a jealousy issue. We just don't talk about it, because in this family you never talk about any problem."

"He seemed so nice when it was just the two of us, but then Tiago joined us and he got weird and offensive."

"He knows we're onto him and aren't shutting up about it," Tiago says, his voice tense. "He appears very normal to people he just met, and he manages to hold up that image too. But once you really get to know him and he feels safe enough to start playing his games, that's when he becomes this pathetic little shit."

"I had no idea he was going to ask me to go away with him," Quinn clarifies, vaguely noticing Maribel joining them and Alejandro filling her in on what just happened. "And I wouldn't have."

"I know. Just like I know that at least a dozen of my cousins have been flirting with you tonight, all of them better-looking than me. I need to get out of here."

And with those words, he disappears before Quinn can even protest.

She frowns. "... what was that about? He can't seriously be jealous of these guys?" she asks Maribel. "I mean, he knows there's no way at all that I'd want any of them when have him, right?"

Maribel sighs. "Deep down, he knows, honey. But Tiago is insecure, and he's trying not to be the jealous boyfriend, trying to avoid looking like he doesn't trust you. He has a hard time dealing with the fact that all these guys, who in his mind are far more handsome and succesful than he is, are chatting up his girlfriend. He's scared he's going to lose you to one of them, but he won't admit that because he doesn't want you to think it's your fault when he knows full well it's his own self image making him this way."

"I don't understand," Quinn answers. "I know he's insecure, but we've been together for a little while now and he knows I love him. He knows I only want him. Why would he think I want any of them?"

Maribel chuckles. "It's Tiago. Don't try to find a logical explanation, Quinn. He walked away because he wants to protect you. He doesn't want you to think he doubts your love."

"I want to go after him. Is that a good idea?" Quinn asks. She's known Tiago for a long time, but sometimes he's still a mystery to her.

Maribel nods. "Yes, go after him and just do whatever it is you do to calm him down. Then get him back out here, or Guillermo will never hear the end of it from Alfredo. Alfredo is already convinced Guillermo isn't a true Lopez and his son isn't either, and Guillermo is just like his son. He should take Alfredo's criticism where it comes from, but family is important to him and he wants to impress Alfredo. He wants to be respected by him."

Quinn nods and takes her phone to dial Tiago's number. To her relief, he picks up immediately. "Hey, where are you?" she asks softly.

"I'm fine, Quinn." The tone of his voice betrays that he really isn't.

"I asked where you are," Quinn repeats. "I want to come to you. I want to be with you right now."

"Take the grand staircase in the lobby, I'm on the second floor."

* * *

Quinn's heart breaks a little when she sees the pain on Tiago's face. She walks up to him and immediately wraps her arms around him, taking in his smell before leaning in for a deep, passionate kiss. She presses her body against his. "I love you," she whispers before letting go. "I love you more than you know."

He looks down to his feet. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I just... I really hate these guys, you know? I hate this entire part of the family, uncle Alejandro and his family is the only exception. I don't get why dad insists on going to all this family stuff. I knew my cousins were going to flirt with you. I just knew it, and they're all handsome and succesful and they have so much more to offer than I do."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Tiago? None of them even come close to you. I don't care about their smooth talk, I see right through it. Yeah, you can sweet talk too, but you mean it. And you're by far the handsomest guy in that place. Like, really. You're the hottest guy in here."

He blushes and hesitantly looks into her eyes. "You really think so?"

She knows what to do. It might not be the best way for him to regain his confidence, but he deserves it for all the stress he's dealing with tonight. She smirks, leans into him and whispers in his ear: "Follow me to the bathroom and I'll show you just how much I really think so."

* * *

Quinn closes the door behind Tiago, locks it firmly and then pushes him against it, kissing him ferociously. He kisses her back, and she pulls his body into hers. She lets out a soft, throaty moan that she knows drives him absolutely crazy. He puts his hands on her hips and she starts kissing her way over his cheek to his ear. She licks that sensitive spot behind his ear and he groans, pushing his hips into hers. She lets go and gives him a look filled with lust.

"Tiago," she says, her voice hoarse. "I want to suck your dick."

He looks at her and she licks her lips before pushing him down on top of the toilet lid. He opens his legs automatically and she unbuckles his pants. His dick is already semi-hard from the heavy make-out sessions and as soon as she pulls down his boxers, his half-erection springs out. She wraps her hands around it and makes it rock hard with a few swift strokes from her hand, squeezing her shaft from bottom to top and back again. She knows how much he loves this.

She pulls up her dress and sits down on her knees. She kisses the tip of his dick, fully aware of how sensitive he is there. He means and pushes his hips up a little. She swirls her tongue around the tip of his dick and licks it. She brings her hands to his balls and fondles them as she feeds herself more and more of his dick. She pushes her tongue against the underside and hollows her cheeks. When she's taken all she can, she lets go and licks her dick from the tip all the way down to his balls again. She moves her head so she can suck on his balls, something she's never done before. She's not entirely sure how she feels about it, but from his moans she can tell he really loves this.

She goes back to his dick and takes it in her mouth again, sucking on it as if it's a lollipop. His dick is so hard in her mouth and his movements indicate he's really fucking turned on. She tastes a dribble of pre-cum and knows that he's close. She wraps her hand around the part of her dick she can't fit in her mouth, tugging at it repeatedly. She sucks and licks, swirls her tongue, hollows her cheeks - and finally, he mutters the words he's been waiting for. "I'm about to come!"

This is where she normally lets go and grabs a tissue, but this is a special occassion, so she braces herself to do something she's never done before. Tiago, obviously confused by her behaviour, tries to pull away but she doesn't let him. Instead, she closes her mouth around his dick and sucks again. She jumps a little when he shoots his load right into her mouth, tasting his cum for the first time ever.

He whines softly, flexing his fingers - he usually likes to play with her hair a little, but he can't ruin her hair or everyone would notice.

"Holy shit," he finally utters, still panting. "That was... insane."

"The good kind, I hope," Quinn smiles. "You ready to get back out there?"

"Definitely the good kind," he nods, getting up with shaking legs. "Just give me a minute. Damn. Wow. I love you, Quinnevere."

"I love you too, sir Lopezelot. So much more than I ever will love anyone. I said it before - you're the hottest piece of man in here and no chance in hell do I want any of those smarmy losers."

He smiles, and she knows he believes her.

* * *

When it's finally time to go home, Guillermo shares some bad news for his brother. "Someone thought it was funny to slash Alejandro's tires. They can't get home until tomorrow, so I told him they could stay at our place. Lessa is sleeping in our room, so his girls can sleep in her room. But that leaves the question where Alejandro and Alicia are going to sleep."

"Tiago and I can sleep at my place," Quinn offers. "That leaves Tiago's room for them."

Guillermo smiles gratefully. "Thanks. I wonder who did this."

An hour later, when Tiago and Quinn are finally settled in her bed, Tiago shares his suspicions. "I wouldn't put it beyond Matias," he shares. "Alejandro stopped him from being a little shit to you and me, ruined his fun. He knew Alejandro can't catch a ride with anyone either, he lives nowhere near here."

"Is he really that pathetic?" Quinn wonders.

Tiago nods. "Definitely. I'm glad that beside the dozens of losers and bitches, you got to meet some of my okay cousins too. Sebastian, Micaela, David, Carolina, Diego, Rodrigo, Julian, Maite... they're okay."

Quinn smiles. "You and your sister and dad had to get your good Lopez genes somewhere."

* * *

Tiago is still half asleep when he closes the door to Quinn's bedroom behind him the next morning. The sight of his school's guidance counselor naked fully wakes him up, though. She is just as surprised to see her student in his boxer shorts and dashes back into Holly's bedroom.

Tiago is still rubbing his eyes, trying to get rid of the image of Ms Pilsbuy naked, when Holly comes outside of her room - luckily dressed in a bathrobe. "Tiago, what the hell? I didn't know you guys were staying over here! I thought Quinn would only be home after noon, like she said."

Tiago shakes his head. "Oh wow. God. I'm so sorry." He explains what happened with Alejandro's tires and how they ended up here. "Damn. I'm sorry. I really am. No way I actually wanted to see that!"

Holly squints her eyes. "My girlfriend is very hot, thank you very much. But this is, like, really awkward. I think it's best if you ignore that even happened. Emma is mortified, the poor thing. If my sex life is back to square one, I blame you, and I am not forgiving," Holly warns him. On some level, Tiago knows she's joking, but then she does look very threatening - even in a bathrobe.

"What's going?" Quinn asks sleepily.

Holly quirks an eyebrow. Tiago swallows. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

_I can't wait until Quinn and I live together, alone,_ he thinks to himself.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: So far, this story has been written from 3rd POV, but mainly from Quinn's perspective. I felt like writing a chapter from Tiago's perspective :') **

** You can also find my stories on ffskalice dot tumblr dot com and skalice dot livejournal dot com or follow me on twitter ( skalicethomas).** **What story should I update next?**

** P.S.: I wrote a Valentine's Day one shot in the verse of this story, but posted it as a separate story. You can find if you go to my profile!**

** P.P.S.: Quinntana had sex! How awesome is that? Just like Quinntana Week 2013 (quinntanaweek2013 dot tumblr dot com) will be awesome :'D**

* * *

"We're so gonna beat Carmel's asses next week," Sam grins as he comes out of the locker room showers. "They won't know what hit them."

Tiago pulls his sweater over his head. "I know. There's no way we're losing, we did great out there. I'm going to go over our strategy with coach Beiste on Monday again, decide on the final formation and such."

Mike joins them as well. "Any ideas on that one yet?"

"Yeah, but I'm probably going to change everything this weekend." Tiago smirks to himself. He knows he draws up the best formations in post coital bliss, and Quinn is always more than happy to assist him. The high of an orgasm energizes him, it makes him bolder and more creative. "Patrick in the goal, obviously. I'm pretty sure I'm putting Sam as centre midfielder. And you're the best centre-back, so no question there, Mike."

Mike nods. "Awesome. Listen, some of the guys are heading over to my place. You wanna join?"

Tiago purses his lips. "Yeah, sure, why not. Coach Sylvester is holding extra practices for the Cheerios anyway and Quinn ends up staying away until super late."

* * *

"Sylvester's exhausting the girls even more than usual," Tiago says as he puts his phone away. Quinn just texted him to say she'd be in late and she's really tired, which is usually code for _please have coffee and bacon for me._

"Yeah, Brittany says that too," Mike agrees. "She says it's hardly fun anymore, and when Brittany doesn't think something she loves is fun anymore, it's pretty bad. She puts up with it, though. She really wants to get into a good dance school. But I told her already, she's crazy talented, she can get in anywhere she wants. She just needs to graduate high school and the road is wide open for her."

"Listen, not trying to be a dick, but how's that going for her? We all know she's having trouble in most of her classes," Sam says.

Mike sighs. "Yeah, she is. I'm still trying to figure out a way to get her through. I mean, it's such bullshit, you know? I know we need to learn stuff, and that's great, but for her it doesn't matter that much. It's not like she's trying to get into university. She just wants to dance, and she's the best dancer I know. It's so fucked up that this graduation thing can keep her back when she won't even be using it later on."

"We'll get her through this," Tiago says, patting Mike on the back. "I'll talk to Quinn, we can all come up with a plan together. Like, we can all focus on a subject or something. Quinn's really good with science, I can get her through English, you can get her through Algebra, we'll find a way. We're all good at something and we'll all help her."

Mike smiles. "Yeah, we'll get her through. I just worry, you know?"

"Aww, little Mikey's in love," Patrick teases. "Dude, you guys are so whipped. I mean, Tiago's basically Quinn's bitch, she just has to bat her eyelashes and you're in a puddle. And Mercedes has Sam do anything she wants too."

"At least we're getting laid," Sam says smugly. "Can't be said for all of us. How long has it been, Patrick? One year or two?"

Patrick frowns. "I'm so getting laid. Got it on with Emily just last night."

"Sorry to break it to you, but Emily sleeps with anyone on the soccer team that'll have her," Tyler adds. "So that hardly counts."

"Last time I checked, you're not getting laid at all, Tyler," Patrick smirks.

"So you check, huh?" Tiago grins. "Interesting."

"Dude! I'm not gay!" Patrick counters, horrified.

Tiago shrugs. "I don't care if you're gay or straight or bi, no need to get up on your high horse. I mean, aren't like one in ten people supposed to be gay? So statistically there's at least one gay dude on the team."

"Yeah, Tyler," Patrick points out. "The one not getting laid."

"Shut up," Tyler says, rolling his eyes. But when Tiago shares a look with Sam, he knows they both noticed the blush creeping up on his cheeks.

* * *

That Friday, Tiago watches Quinn as she enters the choir room. She looks flawless, as always. At times, he still can't believe she's really his girlfriend now. He's been wanting her for so long, longing for her all this time, that sometimes it seems unbelievable that his dream came true. He needs to catch up on reality sometimes.

She sits down on the empty chair next to him - everyone knows they always sit together. She leans in for a quick peck on the lips and then pulls her chair closer to his so she can lean into him. "Hi, handsome," she smiles.

He shakes his head to bring himself back to the real world. "Hi, beautiful. You got plans for tonight?"

"No, not really. I was going to help Lessa bake some cookies. She's going to take them to school, for her birthday. And of course she needs some extra special ones for Bridget."

Tiago rolls his eyes playfully. "She's obsessed with Bridget."

"I guess the love for blondes runs in the family then," Quinn teases. "Legend has it you were just as crazy about me at that age, and I vaguely recall a batch of Extra Special Birthday Cookies you made for me when you turned twelve. Or well, your mom did."

"Hey, look, Finn and Rachel prepared a duet," Tiago changes the subject, blushing heavily. "I wonder what their voices sound like together," he adds in a serious tone, but he knows that Quinn knows he's just joking.

* * *

The next day, Tiago's at his desk writing when someone knocks on his door and his favourite voice in the world says: "Time to close the porn, Tiago, your girlfriend's here."

He gets up hastily, opens the door and pulls Quinn inside. He sticks his head out of the door, looks to the left and then to the right.

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Your mom's ironing in the kitchen, your dad thinks he's trying to fix Lessa's bike but probably just making it worse, and Lessa is over at Bridget's house - I just drove her there and scored some points with your mom."

Tiago sighs in relief. "Damn, Quinn, give me a heart attack, why don't you? Well, actually, you do all the time because you look really good all the time." Quinn quirks an eyebrow and Tiago shakes himself out of it. "I know you're thinking I'm being smooth but I meant that. Anyway, I don't think you could lose any credit with my mom even if you tried. She thinks you're perfect. Which you are."

"Do you want anything?" Quinn smirks. "Because that's twice you've kissed my ass in one minute."

Tiago closes the door, locks it and wraps his arms around Quinn's waist. He looks into her hazel eyes and his heart skips a beat. "Yeah. I want to kiss you. Over and over again."

Quinn's face softens. "Any particular reason?"

Tiago cups her cheek and then tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, still one of his favourite things to do. "Because I can," he says truthfully. "Because after years of wanting nothing more than to kiss you and hold you and keep kissing you, I finally can, as many times as I want to."

Quinn doesn't seem to know what to say to that, and she's really good with words. So he leans in and kisses her soft lips. It still feels magical, like that very first time they kissed and his world was just right. He pulls her closer to him and tilts his head a little to deepen the kiss. She nips at his lower lip and a flood of warmth spreads through him.

"I'm so into you, Lucy Quinn Fabray," he mutters against her lips, his hands moving to her ass and nestling in the back pockets of her pants.

"I'm so into you, Santiago Manuel Lopez." She slips her tongue inside his mouth and the kiss soon turns way too passionate to continue standing. "Now get out of those clothes and on that bed," she says, her voice husky. He knows what that means. And he loves it.

* * *

"Holy fuck," Tiago mutters, leaning on his elbows. "Fuck fuck fuck." He throws his head back.

Quinn slowly lets go of his dick and licks her lips. "Later, m'dear. Patience is a virtue."

"Just... keep doing that."

Quinn strokes his dick with her fingers and takes the tip in her mouth again. She suckles on it softly, taking it in inch by inch, swirling her tongue around him occassionally. Her warm, wet mouth around his dick is almost more than he can handle. Her tongue is so soft. He whimpers quietly. She hollows her cheeks around his dick and sucks a little harder. He lifts his hips into her. She closes her lips around him and he looks down at her. Her eyes are closed, the better part of his dick is in her mouth. He can feel the head tapping against the back of her mouth - this is the most she's ever been able to take in. He gets ready to pull back a little to give her a chance to breathe, but to his surprise she leans forward and takes in more. He jumps a little when he feels the head of his dick slip into her throat. He almost sees stars - this feels so damn good. She seems fully concentrated. She gags a little, but doesn't give up.

"Shit, baby," he husks. "Damn, that's hot."

She keeps feeding herself more, until her lips hit his pelvis. He lets out a long sigh. She hollows her cheeks again and presses her tongue against his dick. She starts bobbing her head up and down and it feels so damn good.

"I'm gonna cum, baby," he moans. "Shit, I'm so fucking close!"

She pulls back until the head of his dick rests halfway her tongue, but then he can't keep it in any longer and blows his load. She swallows and keeps sucking on him, and all his senses seem to be exploding. She sucks his dick dry and then licks her lips happily.

He pulls her up so she rests on top of him. "Fucking hell. Fucking hell. Fucking hell."

Quinn quirks an eyebrow. "That good?"

"Definitely," Tiago nods eagerly.

* * *

His hands on her ass, his head between her legs, her hands on the headboard. He licks her pussy from bottom to top and back again, and she writhes against him. She's never done this before - riding his face - but she seems to be in an experimental mood today and Tiago's loving every second of it.

She moves her hips into his face and he licks her clit with the tip of his tongue. She's moaning so deliciously. He brings one hand upwards and cups her breast, her nipple erect against the palm of his hand. He kneads it softly as he flattens his tongue against her clit. She pants, throwing her head back, her jolts growing more and more violent. She's soaking wet and it tastes heavenly.

When he slips his tongue inside of her, he moans into her pussy. Her walls immediately clamp down on his tongue, his nose rubbing against her clit. She rides his tongue with a passion and he brings both hands to her ass again. She pushes her hips against him and comes much sooner than he expected - she must've been really horny.

Her wetness gushes out of her and he licks up as much as he can. Going down on her is positively one of his favourite activities in the world, but this is a whole new experience. He licks her clit again and she sighs happily.

She gets off him and lies on top of him again, her wet pussy resting against his semi-hard dick - the sound, smell, taste of her reaching and orgasm always gets him going. She wraps her arms around him, he can feel her nipples against his chest. "I want another orgasm, San."

He frowns. She only calls him that in their most tender, loving moments. Also - she just came pretty damn hard, and she's ready to go again? But who is he to deny his girl anything at all?

He trails a hand over her back, to her ass and then to the side. Finally, he takes his own dick and she re-positions her hips. She brings a hand between them and opens her lips, resting her clit against his dick. They rub into eachother until he's fully hard and then he slips his dick inside.

She grunts as he stretches her walls. He pushes deeper, feels her soft walls throb. Her pussy sucks his dick deeper and deeper inside, until he's filling her to the hilt. They thrust into eachother, slowly but steadily. The pace quickens and he feels her walls contract around him - it's the best feeling in the world. She moans, he pants, pushes harder, quicker now. She traps his dick and thrusts against him. She licks him behind his ear and he explodes, his hot seed filling her up. Her pussy contracts even more, milking him entirely. Her walls are fluttering around him, and not much later her moans betray that she's reached her orgasm as well.

She slumps down on him and grins, kissing him lazily. "God, I just love having sex with you, Tiago."

"Mhm," he smiles, running his fingers through her hair. "You're very good at it. I love you too, and I love having sex with you."

"I learned from the best," Quinn winks. "And maybe a little bit online."

Tiago quirks an eyebrow. "You did online research on how to have sex?"

Quinn blushes. "Oh God. That is so not sexy."

"No, actually, it kind of is. But you were great before, too. I mean-"

"Tiago?" Quinn asks, looking him in the eye. She looks tired and exhilerated at the same time. "Just shut up and kiss me again."

So maybe he's whipped, but he doesn't give a single fuck. He loves his girlfriend, and he reckons there's nothing wrong with that.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: This chapter is a short one and really very much an excuse to write some smut. A lovely reader asked for this kind of scene, and I am but your humble servant. **

**Next chapter is prom. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need some help on that one, since I'm not American and have never been to a prom. So if you feel like answering questions about prom, leave a review! If you have any kind of request, leave a review! Or a message, of course.**

* * *

Quinn and Tiago leave the movie theater holding hands. They just saw _Les Misérables_ for the third time – Quinn's idea, but she knows how much Tiago loves the musical as well. They reach his car and he wraps his arms around her waist, pushing her against the car.

"You're not gonna believe this, but I love you," Quinn says, cupping his cheek. She brings his face closer to hers and kisses him softly. "I love you a whole lot."

She can feel him smile against her lips. He kisses her again. "So, prom next week. You're gonna make a beautiful prom queen. Have you decided on a dress yet?"

"I've had the idea ever since you gave it to me – I really want to wear that dress you bought for me when we went to your uncle's birthday dinner a few weeks ago. It's a beautiful dress, so why would I buy a new one? It's also a special one because you gave it to me. And baby, we're not the only ones running for king and queen."

He beams. "Really? I'm so happy you liked it. And you're gonna be prom queen. You're the most beautiful girl at school and also the smartest and the most perfect one, and you just deserve it after all the shit your parents threw at you."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm being selfish, running for prom queen. I have the best loving boyfriend who makes me feel so special every day, I'm already accepted to the university of my dreams and I already have a job lined up for the first five years after graduation."

"It's something you want, and you have to go for what you want. You deserve this, baby. Those others wouldn't have dropped their campaign for you either if the roles were reversed."

Quinn sighs happily. He knows just what to say to make her feel better.

"You and me, we're forever, right?" he asks, a hint of insecurity lacing his voice still, after months of being together. Quinn knows it's not anything she's doing wrong – Maribel assured her that Quinn's instincts were right and it really is his own self image.

She smirks and pulls him closer into her, kissing him again, but more passionately this time. "Forever and ever."

An hour later, they're cuddled up naked in Quinn's bed after having some fun in the way Quinn likes best: on top. As always, Quinn is content being the little spoon, nestled in his arms. She quirks an eyebrow when she feels something hard against her thighs. "Tiago?" she whispers. "Really? Again?"

He doesn't answer immediately and Quinn knows he's probably beet red. He buries his face in her neck. "Damn. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby."

Quinn chuckles. "Don't be. It's hot."

He sighs in relief, kissing her neck softly. "So can I…"

Quinn spreads her legs and guides his hand between them. He drags a finger through her slick folds and he groans in surprise at how wet his girlfriend is. She's soaked and so ready for him. He moves his hand to her hip to turn her over, but she grabs his wrist. "Don't."

"Huh? I thought you just -"

Quinn pushes closer into him and then reaches behind her to guide his already hard dick between her legs, resting the head against her entrance. He's still adjusting to the idea when she releases her grip on him and pushes back a little bit more, so that the head of his dick slips inside of her.

Then he catches up and pushes inside of her. He brings a hand to her leg and pulls it over him more, carressing her inner thigh as he spreads her legs further apart. He brings his other hand to her pussy and starts rubbing her clit as he pushes into her, stretching her walls from behind.

Quinn moans. It's an unfamiliar sensation – he's never taken her from behind before – but she definitely loves it. He manages to go so much deeper inside of her, stretching her so damn good – more than ever before. She can feel his groans in her neck as well. He moves his hand from her inner thigh to her chest and after starts playing with her nipples.

Quinn closes her eyes and pushes into him. She's almost experiencing a sensory overload – his hands on her tits and clit, his hard dick so deep inside of her throbbing pussy. She sucks him in, using the muscles in her walls to squeeze him. He pulls out and pushes back in, thrusting faster now. She almost loses it when she feels his balls slap against her butt. She hooks her foot behind his leg and he thrusts up again.

She can feel the pit of her stomach burning as she comes closer and closer to her orgasm. He thrusts one final time before shooting his load, kissing her shoulder to muffle the sound of his moans. She works with him to bring her to the edge as well, and as his seed shoots inside of her a second time, she can feel her walls clamping down on him. When he pinches her clit lightly, she loses it completely and buries her face in her pillow to mute the sound of her almost-screams.

He slides out of her and she turns around. To his surprise, the first thing she does is guide his dick back inside of her – she's still coming down from her orgasm.

"That was amazing," he grins, elated. "God you're so tight."

Quinn nods. "I loved it. Just… stay inside of me for now, okay? It was so good."

"We should do it again."

"Definitely."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: 5.773 words – the longest chapter I've ever written. What can I say? It wasn't intentional. This chapter is pre-prom, prom and post-prom, with a guest appearance.**

**Next update will hopefully be for Primitive. I know a lot of you are waiting for The Queen & Quinn, but I'm honestly not very inspired right now and I'd need someone to think with me how I can continue that one.**

**Read & review, my lovelies!**

* * *

Quinn's getting her nails done for prom, together with the other Glee club girls. They're chatting about school, celebrities, and of course their boyfriends.

"He's really focused on dancing," Brittany says about Mike. "He spends a lot of time on soccer and then dancing so we don't see eachother all the time, but I don't really mind. I have Cheerios and dancing too, and I kind of like it that we usually have a lot to talk about. When I had a boyfriend or a girlfriend before, they'd want to meet up all the time and I got bored really easily. I don't have that with Mike."

"He was a great boyfriend," Tina smiles. "But we just didn't have that much in common. I'm glad we can still be friends and I'm glad he makes you happy."

"So, Tina, tell us - do you have a crush?" Mercedes asks.

"Not really," Tina says. "I mean – all the good guys are taken, aren't they?" she jokes. "Tiago's dating Quinn, and there was really never any question of him being with anyone else. Sam's dating you, Mercedes. Mike's with Brittany. Finn is a big no."

Mercedes squints her eyes. "You left out Puck."

Tina blushes. "Well, he's an asshole."

"An asshole you like, ms Cohen-Chang," Quinn perks up. "Noah Puckerman. Tiago absolutely hates his guts. He'd rather die than admit that Puck's a lot of talk but really not that bad when he's with Glee club. He's a jerk around the football team, when he feels he has to impress people, but I guess he's okay when he's away from that crowd. But Tiago still blames Puck because he was trying to befriend me at preschool, can you believe that?"

Rachel frowns. "That's a long time to hold a grudge, especially if you were so young."

Quinn shrugs. "Tiago's always been jealous and protective. He got better, though. But when we were younger he'd really sulk when I even talked to other boys. When he gets in a dramatic mood, he tells me how he dislikes Puck because he almost took me away from him. As if there's no way Tiago and I could have been friends if Puck had helped me colour a drawing when I was a kid."

Quinn says it all lovingly, because she knows Tiago means well. "Ever since, he's always been really suspicious of Puck."

"Well, you have to admit that Puck didn't exactly make it a secret he was into you in sophomore year," Mercedes says. "Even in junior year he was trying to ask you out all the time. It was kind of funny how Tiago always managed to stop him by interrupting. I'm curious – would you have said yes?"

"Honestly? I don't think so," Quinn admits. "I've never hated him the way Tiago does, and I think that if he finds a girl who can stand up to him and won't deal with his crap he can be an okay boyfriend, but I never wanted to be that girl. I had a hard enough time at home, I didn't want to have a difficult relationship on top of it. And besides, I don't think Tiago would ever have forgiven me if I dated Puck, and Tiago's the most important person in my life."

"So, you think he'd be hard work?" Tina asks Quinn. "I mean, all the time, or just in the beginning?"

Quinn laughs. "I have no idea, Tina. Those things I said, that was just what I thought. For all I know, he's super easy to tame once you know how to get to him. I don't know him that well."

"I think you should go for it," Brittany says. "If you're interested, just go for it. We'll have your back, and Quinn and I can totally give him the best friend-talk about not hurting you."

Tina blushes. "Maybe. Anyway, Quinn, how are you and Tiago?"

Quinn smiles, her heart beating faster just thinking about her boyfriend. "Really good. It took some getting used to it – being a couple. And we did have a few talks about what we're comfortable with, but he really respects me now. He's sweet and he doesn't act all cocky all the time. I mean, sure he can get cocky but he's still a guy. He knows me so well and that's really great. He makes me feel really special, like a princess. He knows my mood by the tone of my voice or by reading my face. And he's really cuddly as well, very affectionate."

"And the sex?" Brittany asks casually.

Quinn blushes. "Really good. Like, it gets better all the time. And he never whines about it when I'm not in the mood. He'll never push me into having sex – sometimes I even have to tell him he doesn't have to ask permission so often. I think he's really scared to hurt me or push me away or something."

"You're super lucky, Quinn," Tina says. "Your boyfriend is so good-looking, he's smart, he's considerate. And well… really sexy, too."

Quinn smiles again – she just can't stop grinning when it comes to him. "He really doesn't see it himself. He's really not that confident, it's one of his few flaws. He needs a lot of attention and confirmation. But I'm not complaining, he's great. I love him so much. He's the perfect boyfriend."

"He's so in love with you," Rachel says. "It's adorable. I wish I had a guy who cared so much about me. Finn is so self-centered, and I like him but I don't know if I can be with him again."

"Puck is somewhat redeemable," Mercedes says. "But Finn? Total basket case. Forget him, Rachel Berry. In a few months you'll be in New York, where you'll find bigger and better." She wiggles her eyebrows. "In every way."

"Mercedes!" Rachel gasps, blushing heavily. She expertly changes the subject. "You haven't told us about Sam? How are the two of you doing?"

Mercedes sighs. "We're… well, we're still together, obviously, but I don't know. I love him and he's a great guy, but sometimes I feel like we're growing apart. And with graduation coming up, I'm not sure if we'll make it. I love being with him, but maybe it's the idea of him. He's the first guy who ever took an interest in me, he treats me really well, and he's really hot, but I'm starting to think we want different things. We've talked about it and we decided that we'd discuss our future this summer, after graduation. So things are a bit weird right now. We're kind of enjoying the time we've got left together."

"I'm sorry, Mercedes," Quinn says. It's completely heartfelt. "I know he makes you really happy, but you have to do what you guys think is best."

They move their talk to the prom again. Quinn thinks to herself she'd never be as calm and accepting about a situation like that with Tiago. She can't imagine feeling like she won't be with him this time next year, or, just, ever. She loves him so much that she can't imagine the idea of possibly breaking up with him. She decides she's going to be there for Mercedes. The fact that Mercedes is so accepting of the situation means she's telling the truth – they probably are growing apart, or she'd be a mess over it. But regardless, the break-up would still hurt. After all, Sam is her first love.

* * *

"Can you take it off and do it again? The picture is blurry," Maribel says. Quinn patiently does as she is told. Tiago, who's wearing his tuxedo and a red tie that goes with Quinn's dress, looks at her helplessly. Quinn knows he's wordlessly apologising for his mom's behaviour, but Quinn doesn't mind. This is their prom night, after all.

"Great," Maribel beams. "Now we need a picture of the two of you together. Tiago, put your arm around Quinn's waist. Yeah, like that. Okay, now, smile!"

Quinn doesn't even have to try. She's at her boyfriend's house wearing a beautiful dress, getting pictures with him looking so handsome it should be illegal. She smiles for Maribel, who she knows is busying herself so she won't get emotional.

"Okay, now you turn to face eachother," Maribel begins to explain the next pose. "Quinn, you hold Tiago's lapels and you look up at him, into his eyes and smile. Tiago, you smile as well." Quinn follows Maribel's instructions and a few clicks later, Tiago breathes out in relief. Quinn knows that he still really doesn't like having his picture taken.

"This reminds me of our own prom," Guillermo says as he chuckles at his wife's antics. "Maribel's mother was exactly the same. And one day, you'll be taking pictures of your own kids going to prom, Quinn."

The idea of that makes Tiago's face light up and Quinn could swear she feels her heart flutter. She leans in, cups his cheek and kisses him softly on the mouth.

"Oh, great idea! Could you do that again?" Maribel exclaims.

"I could do that all day," Tiago mutters under his breath.

Maribel puts her camera away and joins her son and his girlfriend. Lessa left half an hour earlier to spend the night at Bridget's place. Maribel now tries her very best not to cry, but a few tears manage to slip over her cheeks.

"Can you believe it?" she asks nobody in particular. "It seems just like yesterday when I was holding you, Santiago. My first baby, my newborn son… Santiago Manuel. And then your first day of preschool, when you two met, and you already disliked Noah Puckerman. And look at you now – you looking so handsome in your suit and Quinn looking so beautiful in that dress. Time flies by! One minute you're a little boy scared to go to school and next, you're a promising young man with a beautiful girlfriend you have sex with so very often."

"Mom!" Tiago exclaims, his cheeks going completely red. Quinn feels embarrassed herself – she handles this kind of thing well enough, but that doesn't mean it's fun to hear from your mother-in-law that she knows you have sex with her son.

Maribel shrugs. "I'm not deaf, mijo, and I do come into your room with my nose intact. You should open the window more, dear, get the smell out. And if your appetite is anything like your father's…"

"Mom!" Tiago says again, so very mortified. "Please stop right there!"

Luckily, the bell rings at that moment, interrupting the very embarrassing moment. The entire Glee club is invited inside and more pictures are taken – group pictures, pictures of the boys, pictures of the girls, the couples…

Finally, their limo arrives. Maribel hugs Tiago and Quinn, wishing them a great night before they leave for the hotel where the prom is being held.

At the hotel, they all talk about the upcoming night. Everyone seems so convinced that Tiago and Quinn will make prom king and prom queen.

"I don't know," Quinn blushes. "I mean, it'd be great and I'd love it, but there are other girls who deserve it as well."

"Well, I'm voting for you guys, that's for sure," Kurt smiles. "I mean, look at you guys! You look great together and everyone can see how much in love you are. People know you're not faking it and you're not just dating for appearances. And also important – neither of you has ever bullied anyone."

"Quinn, you can be a total bitch to the Cheerios, but we all know that you're doing it to make us win. And you've never singled anyone out on the squad either. All the Cheerios are voting for you for sure – not just because you're their captain, but because they like you and they respect you."

"You know, I always thought I'd be prom king some day," Finn says. "But I don't think I'd stand a chance against Tiago ever since his team is McKinley's varsity team."

Tiago frowns and Quinn knows what he's thinking – that if he gets to be prom king, it won't be just because he's the captain of the soccer team. He shuts up wisely, though, because they all know that once he starts expressing his annoyance, he just can't stop. Finn is really only at their table because they're going with the entire Glee club. Quinn has to admit that even though he's still pretty useless, at least he's toned down the idiocy a bit. A tiny little bit – by not blatantly hitting on Quinn anymore.

"So, I hear you got a B on your English test?" Tiago turns to Brittany, changing the subject. "That's awesome!"

"Couldn't have done it without your help," Brittany smiles. "I'm actually doing really good on all my subjects thanks to you guys. I even got an A for my biology class! Quinn should totally be a teacher."

Quinn laughs. "Thanks for the compliment, but I don't think that's going to happen. Only Tiago knows this so far, and I've kept it to myself because I was weirdly afraid to spoil it or something… but I got accepted. Columbia Law."

Mercedes is the firs to react. "Oh my god! That's amazing!" She gets up and goes over to Quinn to hug her. Everyone congratulates Quinn and she catches Tiago's look – he looks so proud, almost as if he got into Columbia Law himself. It makes her feel warm inside, to have a boyfriend who is genuinely proud of the things she accomplishes.

"Tiago also got accepted," Sam announces unexpectedly. Quinn didn't know that Tiago had told Sam – since he only recently received the news – but she's not surprised. She grins – she's very proud of her boyfriend as well.

"Psychology, right?" Rachel asks. "At NYU?"

"Well," Tiago says, taking a deep breath. "I'll be wearing a NYU hoodie this time next year," he smiles. The entire table congratulates him as well. "And for the longest time, I wanted to do Psychology, then get my Master's in Forensics Psychology, then go on to the FBI Academy in Quantico and get into Behaviorial Science. But that plan has changed. I'm going for an English major and a minor in Psychology, then hopefully get into a good school to study Library Science so I can work at a library, but that's not set in stone, it's just an idea."

He blushes at the attention and Quinn can't help but think how cute he looks.

"How come you changed your mind?" Blaine asks. "I had no idea of this change of plan."

Tiago looks at Quinn. She knows what he means – _can I tell them about your plans?_ She nods and he looks proud as ever again. "Well, Quinn's sister is helping her through college. She actually set up a law firm with her husband and they have this new branch in New York. Quinn's going to be working there for the first five years after graduation, and Quantico's a couple of hours away. We don't want to do the long distance thing. Also, there are considerable risks when you become a cop. You deal with really dangerous people, and if Quinn and I start a family, I don't want her to worry about me all the time and I want a job where I can make sure I'm there for my family."

Finn frowns. "So you just changed your entire career plan for a girl?"

Tiago gives him a cold look. The others look annoyed at Finn's remark – they all know he'd expect a girl to change her career plans for him. Tiago tries his best to remain civil. "Quinn's not 'a girl'. I love her and I know I want to be with her, now and in ten years and in twenty. We've discussed this very thoroughly, because Quinn didn't want me to give up my dreams for her, but I explained to her that that's not what I'm doing. My dream is to have a family with her. She's going to be a lawyer, that's a demanding job. I want our kids to be raised by their parents. I want to be there for them. I don't want Quinn worrying about me, because it _is _a risk, being a cop. I want a job with reasonable hours that doesn't require me to be away from my family for long periods of time. I don't want to give my life for a city or a country – I want to give my life and my love to my family."

"There's nothing wrong with giving your life for your country. It's honourable."

"I'm sure it is. But it's not a choice I want to make. Especially not when I have Quinn to raise a family with some day. Finn, this may sound strange to you, but I love her and she means more to me than anyone, and I'd rather save her the grief and the worry. I also know that if I went through with it, I'd be worried myself all the time that I wouldn't be taking care of my family. Some of us actually think about other people who need us rather than blindly chasing their own ambitions, no matter who gets hurt or back-tracked in the process."

A silence falls at the table. Finn looks like he's trying to find a good way to counter Tiago, but Rachel puts a hand on his arm and he shuts up. Quinn frowns at that gesture – she will never know why Rachel can't see what an oaf he is.

"Well, Quinn, you're right," Tina finally says. "You do have the perfect boyfriend."

* * *

This night promises to be everything she's ever imagined it to be. Tiago, who is usually very shy about dancing but knows how much Quinn loves it, doesn't turn her down a single time when she asks him to dance. He's even asked her to come with him to the dancefloor a couple of times, looking mighty proud to be with her.

They're on their way back to the table when Libby, a girl from their English class, stops them. "I'm totally voting for you guys!" she tells them.

"Thanks!" Tiago beams. "That means a lot to us."

"Yeah, thank you so much," Quinn smiles. "How's your grandma?" Libby told the entire English class about her grandma being in hospital – it's pretty serious.

"She's doing a little bit better, but she's still in hospital and she won't be out anytime soon," Libby says, sounding sad. In an attempt to cheer her up, Quinn asks Libby how the drama club's play is coming along – Libby wrote the piece they're performing in June and has a small role in it. She tells them about it enthusiastically, then spots a friend and excuses herself.

"Wow," Tiago says, his eyebrows raised. "I'm impressed. You just seem to remember all the details going on in everyone's life – we don't even know Libby that well. You should totally go into politics! Mayor Fabray! Then governor, and president. President Fabray-Lopez. Or President Lopez-Fabray. Sounds good, doesn't it?"

Quinn laughs. "You read too many books, Tiago. Me for president? No chance. But I'm sure you'd make an excellent First Gentleman, or whatever you'd be called. The first in history, perhaps."

"I'd be so proud to be married to the first female president of the United States."

Quinn shuts her silly boyfriend up with a soft kiss. Tiago, used to short kisses in public, is surprised when she cups his cheek and keeps the kiss going. His mouth is just so damn great, and this is a special night, and he's a special guy.

The next dance is a romantic ballad, so Tiago takes Quinn's hand and leads her to the dance floor. He wraps his arms around her waist, she wraps hers around his neck.

"You look beautiful, baby," Tiago tells her, and she can tell how much he means it. "I adore you."

She smiles, that warm and fuzzy feeling returning. "I adore you too." She buries her face in his neck as they continue their dance. She feels so safe with his arms around her. She can hear his heart beating, her ear on his chest. He pulls her in a little closer. It's a perfect embrace.

When the dance is finished, everyone is asked to vote. Quinn can tell Tiago is nervous – not because he wants to be prom king so badly, but because he's scared Quinn will be disappointed if she doesn't make prom queen. She wants it, but she wouldn't be heart-broken.

A little while later, Figgins asks for their attention. "Boys and girls, the votes are counted. I will now announce this year's Prom King and Queen."

"Relax," Quinn reassures Tiago, squeezing his hand. Quinn has to admit she feels a little nervous herself. The closer they get to the moment, the more she finds herself hoping they'll actually make it.

"This year's prom king is…"

Figgins lets the tension go on for way too long, but then he eventually caves. "The captain of McKinley's soccer team, Santiago Lopez!"

An applause erupts and Tiago lets out a long breath. He leans in for a quick kiss before he makes his way to the stage. He's given his crown and sash. Quinn can see him squinting his eyes against the lights, probably trying to find Quinn in the crowd.

"And this years Prom Queen is…"

Quinn's heart is beating faster now. If Tiago hadn't been Prom King, she doesn't think she'd want to be Prom Queen. But now that he's King, she sure as hell doesn't want any other girl being his Queen.

"The captain of the Cheerios and Mr Lopez' girlfriend, Quinn Fabray!"

Applause erupts again and Quinn walks up to the stage as well, trying to take it all in so she can always remember this moment. It's not a giant surprise, but she wasn't without competition. Sure, it was her parents' wish she'd be prom queen, but she's always wanted it herself as well.

She accepts her crown and has a hard time keeping her tears at bay when Tiago snakes his arm around her waist to pose for pictures. Then it's time for the first dance. Tiago leads Quinn to the middle of the dancefloor to the first tunes of Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", a spotlight following them.

Quinn knows everyone is watching them, but she can only see Tiago, looking so very happy. They hold eachother and she follows Tiago's lead in the dance. Finally, she can't stop herself and tears of happiness stream down her cheeks. She feels happy to be in this moment with him, to be dancing with her boyfriend as a dream comes true. She leans in to kiss him, even though everyone is watching. He kisses her back and when he wants to pull back, she leans in closer, keeping their lips locked. She can barely make out the "awww"s in the background. Finally, they have to let go for air. Tiago whispers in Quinn's ear how much he loves her and it makes her feel on top of the world.

Then he leans in to kiss her, ever so softly but with so much love. To her surprise, she notices he's been crying a little as well – not nearly as much as her, but still.

"I love you," she mutters against his lips, still crying. "So much." She buries her face in his neck again and he pulls her a little closer. "You mean the world to me, Tiago."

When the dance is finished, a new song plays and the others start dancing as well. Quinn and Tiago receive all the congratulations with a big smile.

"That was good practice for your marriage," Tina teases. "You guys look great together."

"Thanks," Quinn grins. Tiago turns away to talk to Luke from the soccer team and Quinn quickly adds: "Puck's staring at you, Tina. I think he wants another dance with you."

* * *

They all leave the hotel together to head over to the after party. Tiago has his arm around Quinn's waist. Tina is walking on front of them, on Puck's arm – to Tiago's dismay. He just doesn't like Puck dating a friend of his, but Quinn managed to calm Tiago down about it. When she reassured him that she and Brittany would be giving Puck a stern talking to if more came of this, he seemed to accept that more protection isn't needed. After all, Brittany's involved, and everyone knows how strong she is and how scary she can be when it comes to protecting her friends.

"Well well well. If it isn't the twins, joined at the hip as ever," a raspy voice says, coming out of nowhere.

Quinn and Tiago turn around, more than a little surprised at seeing Quinn's cousin smoking a cigarette. Tina frowns. "That's kind of incestuous."

"Charlie! It's been ages!" Quinn says, completely surprised. Her cousin grins at her, an equal look of surprise gracing her features – that so resemble Quinn's.

"So, you're finally Tiago-and-Quinn? That's about time. Congratulations."

"So you knew as well," Quinn smiles, gesturing to the others to go on. "I told Tiago – everyone seems to know he's been into me for ages, but nobody thought it'd be a good idea to tell me."

Charlie shrugs. "He had to tell you himself. And of course I knew. I can tell you it's not very charming when you're having sex with this really hot guy and he's thinking of someone else. Especially if you've kissed him before and he was thinking of someone else then too. If I was a weaker girl, he could've hurt my self esteem."

Tiago blushes. "I wasn't… I mean, I didn't mean to… I didn't think you…"

"Hey, no worries," Charlie grins. "I was more than happy to give you some experience. And it's not as if I didn't know you wanted my cousin more than anyone in the world. I knew what I was getting into."

"Can we maybe not talk about how you had sex with my boyfriend?" Quinn asks uneasily. "It was awkward enough when he told me you'd said he didn't need to worry about his size. I don't need the constant reminder."

"Aww, is Quinnie a bit jealous?" Charlie laughs. "I'd ruffle your hair right now if I thought I could get away with it alive. And between you and me, I've been with my fair share of guys and Tiago… trust me, he's on the big side. If you'd ever feel the need to sleep with another guy, don't be surprised if he's less impressive."

"Quinn won't ever feel that need," Tiago interjects. "Will you?"

Quinn laughs. "Of course not. Now I'd really appreciate it if we could stop talking about my boyfriend's dick, especially when he's right here to hear it. What brings you here, Charlie?"

"I'm on my way to my friend in Columbus and I thought I'd stop by here."

"Don't you have school on Monday?" Tiago asks.

"Yeah, but I'm not going. It'll be all about prom and I didn't go, didn't feel it. The people there suck anyway. Tiago's parents told me you guys had prom tonight and it was here, so I thought I'd come and see if Tiago was up for some sexy fun. But obviously, he's all yours, Quinn. So, did you make your mommy and daddy mommy proud and win that crown?"

"I did, but not for my parents. I wanted it for myself. Tiago's Prom King and I'm Queen."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. But we're actually heading to an after party right now. Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun. Tiago and I booked a hotel room for the night but we can catch up tomorrow."

Charlie laughs out loud. "A hotel room? Good plan. Yeah, sure I'll come, but I'm out if the music's shit."

* * *

A few hours later, Quinn and Tiago finally arrive at their hotel room. As soon as the door is closed behind them, Tiago pins Quinn to it and kisses her passionately, his hands cupping her breasts through her dress. "Goddamn, you are so fucking sexy," he breathes heavily.

Quinn smirks and unties his tie, removing it slowly. She licks her lips. "So are you." She cups his dick and balls and gives them a gentle squeeze. "I've been wanting to do this all night," she whispers. "I'm so wet for you. My pussy's scorching hot for your dick."

He groans. "Fucking hell, Quinn. You're a bad woman."

"Get me out of this dress and I'll show you just how bad I am." Quinn is feeling bolder than ever – a little tipsy, very much in love, and incredibly horny after watching him dance and dancing with him for hours on end.

He scoops her up and carries her over to the bed. "Smooth," she laughs. He gets her out her dress and she removes his clothes as well.

"I love you," he says dreamily, looking into her eyes. They get on the bed and she leans in for a kiss, muttering how much she loves him back as he kisses her.

She lies down on her back and pulls him on top of her – they're still kissing. She pushes her pussy into his crotch and pulls his body closer to her. He moans and she can feel his dick stirring. He kisses her skin, from her neck to her chest, and takes a nipple into his mouth. He teases it with his tongue and she pushes her body into his. She snakes one hand between their bodies and opens her lips. She shifts her body a little and rubs her open pussy against his balls.

He moans against her nipple and she shudders at the feeling. She moves her body and now rubs her already enlarged clit against the underside of the base of his dick. He grunts now, and then he drags his dick slowly over her clit until it meets the head of his now rock hard dick.

He switches to her other nipple and suckles on it softly as he moves his dick ever so slowly to her entrance. By the time he reaches it, her body is begging from him to just plunge inside already. He distracts her by scraping his teeth over her nipple lightly as he pounds into her in a sudden swift movement, filling her up entirely. She almost screams in surprise. Then he goes out and thrusts into her again slowly. She can feel every inch of him passing her walls as they stretch to accommodate him. He whimpers, his hot breath against her nipples making her clit throb. Almost as if he senses it, he brings his hand between them and rubs her hard clit with the pad of his thumb.

He plants his hands next to her head and lifts his head to look into her eyes as he moves in and out of her so slowly. She brings her hands to his arms and his stomach. She can feel his muscles flexing and beyond her control, her body lifts into him. He lowers his head to look between them and then urges her to do the same. She lifts her head and bites her lip softly as she watches his dick being swallowed by her pussy, inch by inch.

She moans when he increases the pressure on her clit. "Tiago," she groans.

He kisses her on the lips softly, then licks them. She opens her mouth and he slips his tongue inside, carressing her own. He moves his lips against hers and licks the back of her teeth, then the roof of her mouth, then he snakes his tongue around hers again. He keeps rubbing her clit and thrusting in and out of her at an agonizingly slow speed. She wraps her arms around his waist and lifts her hips, gyrating against him, kissing him so intensely. She uses her muscles to squeeze the walls of her pussy around his dick, creating more friction. He grunts and pushes harder. They let go for air.

"I need it harder. I love this, I love what you're doing, but right now I need you to fuck me like it's the last time."

He takes her words to heart and pounds into her so hard her heart skips a beat. He lets go of her clit so he can hold her hips down to the mattress as he thrusts into her so hard she can see the sweat on his front. His abs are flexing as he bangs her, his balls slapping against her pussy, a vein in his neck throbbing at the exercise.

He cants their hips and now every time he fills her up, he rubs his pelvis against her clit. She wraps her arms around his neck and pushes into him. Her walls are being stretched so deliciously and she loves the feeling of his dick having to work harder and harder to get through her. When he finally fills her again after a particularly difficult passage, she can feel him shooting his load into her so deep. He's making sounds she didn't know he has in him as he pushes and she squeezes her walls to get even more of his hot seed out of him.

"Fuck fuck fuck," he mutters.

Finally, he pulls out, slams into her again and pinches her clit at the same time. She flies over the edge, the waves of her orgasm completely overwhelming her. Her walls flutter around his dick, her head thrown back as she swears creatively.

They both let out a long breath as he lowers himself on top of her.

"Don't pull out yet," she whispers. He turns them until they're on their side and holds her close, kissing her neck. "I love you so much," she says, her voice hoarse. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm never letting you go."

"Good. Because I plan to stay forever."

* * *

**A/N: In other words, I'm a huge sap. I've never been to a prom so I asked advice and looked it up online and then wrote from that as well as I could.**

**I think for this story I'm going to do a time jump the next chapter. How far in the future would you like me to go? And are there any kinks or scenes or whatever you'd like to read? Let me know!**


	32. Chapter 32

Quinn stretches when she wakes up and reaches out for Tiago, her eyes still closed. She pouts when she finds the bed empty and turns around. As she should have expected, she finds her boyfriend typing away on his computer – looking so sexy in nothing but his boxer shorts.

"Hey, stud, come back to bed," Quinn commands. "I need to cuddle."

He turns around and leans over his chair. "Just a minute, let me finish this up. I just got it in my head and I'm scared I'll forget if I don't write it down right now."

"Sure," Quinn mumbles, sighing softly. Tiago's been absolutely obsessed with this new idea he has for a story and he's writing at the most impossible hours. She knows it's something he can't really help, and if she's completely honest it's kind of adorable and sexy at the same time to see him so passionate. She also has to admit that he's never spent this long on one idea, so it might just be a good one. Too bad he refuses to tell her what the story is about – he wants to wait until he knows more, so she can give him full feedback. At least, that's what he says.

Tiago keeps to his words and after typing a few more paragraphs, he crawls back into bed, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and leaning in for a soft kiss. They enjoy the taste of eachother's lips and kiss lazily for a few more minutes, exploring each other's mouths even though they know so well.

Finally, Tiago leans back and smiles at Quinn. He cups her jaw and strokes her cheek with his thumb, looking her in the eye. He looks so damn happy, it fills Quinn with a rush of warmth. She blushes under his intense gaze. "What's wrong?" she asks.

He kisses her again. "Nothing's wrong. The sun is shining, I'm dating the most beautiful girl in the world, I graduated high school and am having a barbecue with all the people who mean something to me later today. In a few months, you and I will be living in New York and have our own place. I'm happy. I love you."

Quinn doesn't know what to say to that. He always knows how to put his feelings into words so well and often leaves her speechless. She still finds it hard sometimes to believe that she really got this lucky, that she really found a good guy who loves her – who knows her, who knows where she's been and what her life used to be like – and loves her so much all the same. She realizes how much he is her rock. No matter what changes in her life, he's always there. She can count on him. She could be scared shitless about the move to New York and studying at Columbia and meeting all these new people, but knowing that she has Tiago Lopez to come home to makes it all okay. He's the reason she never has to be scared again. She'll always have her sir Lopezelot.

She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer to her. "I want to have babies with you," she blurts out. "I really, really want you to be the father of my kids. I want us the to be Tiago and Quinn Lopez. I want to hold your hand and tell people you're my husband. I want to have a family with you."

Now it's his turn to blush. "What, you mean right now?"

Quinn chuckles. "Of course not right now, goof. How about we get our degrees and our life sorted first? Get ourselves a place, get ourselves into a financial position where we don't have to worry too much. Damn, Tiago, I really can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Promise me something?"

"I'd say 'anything' but I know you well enough by now to know those are dangerous words. So shoot. What do you want me to promise?"

"Well, two things. First, that we'll be the Fabray-Lopez family. Or Lopez-Fabray. I don't want you to drop your name, it's beautiful. Besides, where you come from makes you who you are. If your life had turned out differently, maybe we'd never have been where we are. It's been shit, sure, but still. And secondly – don't propose to me? I want to propose to you and I'm gonna do it right – I'm gonna suit up and bring a rose and a beautiful ring and it'll be all romantic."

Quinn's heart starts beating faster at his words. "We'll discuss the name thing when the time comes. As for the proposal, you've got yourself a deal, mister."

"Great. Now about those babies. I think we need more practice," he says innocently as he rolls on top of her and starts kissing her neck.

"Definitely," Quinn nods, her hands already on their way to take off his boxer shorts.

* * *

Maribel rests her head on Guillermo's shoulder as they watch the party in their garden. All of the Glee club members are there – Tiago hadn't really wanted to ask them all, but Quinn had insisted and Maribel knows her son is putty in his girlfriend's hands. She's not sure if Quinn knows it, but she can get him to go to the end of the world and back for her. It's like she can glamour or compel him – yes, she does watch those vampire shows, every woman is allowed a guilty pleasure, right?

Holly is there too – Maribel had only thought it was right to invite the woman who had taken Quinn into her house when her own parents had kicked her out just for loving her son. Holly brought her girlfriend as well, Emma. As Maribel understands, they only recently went public with their relationship and people are still getting used to it. People being pupils, mostly.

Tiago's uncle Alejandro and his family are there. His kids are playing with Lessa and Bridget – who are just as inseparable as Tiago and Quinn were at their age. Frannie Fabray even made the trip to Lima, but unfortunately her husband couldn't come with her. Charlie is there as well, catching up with her cousins.

Maribel smiles when Quinn gets up and walks over to Tiago, who is flipping the meat on the barbecue. He finally got the hang of it. It's so hot outside that any guy that can afford it is walking around shirtless. Tiago's one of them. Quinn's wearing the tank top and tiny shorts she's been keeping here ever since she bought them because her parents would never have approved. Quinn slips her arm around his waist and leans her head on his shoulder, very much like Maribel is sitting next to her husband now.

"I'm so glad that they found each other," Maribel sighs. "I always knew those two would end up together, but Quinn took her own sweet time realizing how she felt. I was starting to get worried I was wrong and Tiago was going to get his heart broken."

Guillermo smiles and shakes his head. "You, wrong? Never, darling."

Maribel rolls her eyes but can't fight the smile forming on her lips. "Admit it, you're happy for them too."

Guillermo gives Maribel a peck. "Of course I'm happy. I know my son and I know that even though he's really smart, creative, talented and athletic, he doesn't see any of that. Even in his senior year, as captain of the varsity team of his school. He's a sensitive boy and with a low self image at that. I'm really very happy that he has Quinn who knows how he is and knows he'll never be super confident. I'm very happy that he has a girl who can take care of him but who can also tell him to get over himself from time to time. The boy can be a bit dramatic, mija. You know who he gets that from," he winks.

Maribel glares at her husband playfully. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Quinn stands on tiptoe and kisses Tiago shortly. They see their son light up. "Yeah. She's really good for him," Maribel agrees with Guillermo.

* * *

Everyone's finished eating and they're all talking about their future plans. It's scorchingly hot outside and Quinn feels her shirt sticking to her skin. She waits until Tiago's finished talking with Mike about how they'll miss playing soccer. She cups his face with one hand, turns his head and looks deep into his eyes. For a second, he forgets how to breathe. "I'm going to go to your room and change my shirt," she says softly, but suggestively, an eyebrow quirked.

He raises an eyebrow.

She licks her lips.

"You're gonna… change your shirt?"

She nods, then stands up and walks across the garden to the kitchen door, making sure to put an extra sway to her hips. Before she goes inside, she turns around and smirks when she sees that his eyes are glued to her. She cocks her head, winks, and makes way to his bedroom.

She takes off her shirt and just as she finds herself wondering what the hell is taking him so long, she feels his strong arms around her waist and his lips on her neck.

"You're so sexy, baby," he mutters against her skin, his hands roaming her stomach, moving up to her chest. "You make me so hard." He slides his hands underneath her bra and cups her tits, kneading them softly. She moans and reaches back to get rid of the offending item. She grinds into him, knowing how much he loves her ass. She moans when he circles her nipples as he sucks on that sensitive spot behind her ears. She's getting so damn wet.

She turns her head to kiss him and he meets her lips passionately. She fully expects him to lead her to the bed and show her a good time, but he surprises her by walking over to his desk chair. He moves it in front of the full mirror on his closet and then takes off his shorts and boxers. She bites her lips as she realizes where this is going. She takes off her tiny shorts and panties as well.

He sits down and pulls her onto his lap, her back to him. He puts his hands on her hips, his dick already semi hard. She grinds into him and smirks when she feels it getting rock hard against her ass. He removes one hand to guide his dick between her legs. She's already wet and it doesn't take much effort for him to slip inside of her. He pushes his dick inside and she shivers as she watches it in the mirror. He opens her lips so she can clearly see her pussy swallowing his dick as he slowly starts thrusting inside and pulling back out, inside and out again.

She moans softly when he uses the middle finger of his other hand to rub her clit. She can feel his chest against her back, his head around her body so he can watch them as well. He increases the pace of his thrusts until he's pounding her so hard, causing a delicious friction. Her moans grow loader with every push and before she knows it, she's bouncing on top of him, forcing him deeper and deeper inside.

He wraps his lips around her earlobe, at the same time stimulating her clit and blowing into her. His dick is so big, her walls are stretched so good and she loses all control over her body. She doesn't realise half how loud she is when she groans, shouts his name, curses.

She has to admit she loves the sight of her pale pussy swallowing his darker dick.

His movements are getting sloppier and less controlled, but he's still jerking into her. She knows he's getting so close to an orgasm and when his hot seed fills her up, she topples over the edge as well, screaming her lungs out.

* * *

When they go back into the garden a few minutes later, everyone's looking at them. Quinn frowns and is about to ignore the weird silence when Charlie finally speaks. "Sounds like Tiago's gotten really fucking good, Quinn."

"You are one lucky girl," Frannie nods, looking mightily impressed.

Maribel, eyebrow quirked, turns to Guillermo and mutters softly: "Sounds like he's pretty damn good for her too."

Quinn looks at Tiago – his eyes as wide as hers. They blush. "I don't know what you're talking about," Tiago tries.

Maribel shakes her head and puts her arms around their shoulders, guiding them away from the group as they go back to their conversations. "I opened the window this morning, to get rid of the smell of your morning session…" she explains.

Quinn groans, horrified. "Oh god, I'm so sorry – I was in the shower, Tiago had that package delivered that he had to sign off, we completely forgot to open the window. I should have checked earlier as well – damn… everyone heard?"

Maribel frowns. "You're pretty loud, Quinn. If the neighbours are outside, they've heard you as well."

"Oh shit," Tiago says, looking as if he's seen a ghost. "Lessa! She heard us too?"

"I guess you did catch one lucky break," Maribel smiles. "Your aunt Alicia drove them to Bridget's house to fetch some paper and paint. You know how much into painting they are right now."

Quinn nods and goes inside to get them both a glass of water. Maribel goes back to Holly and Emma (who looks like nothing surprises her anymore). Tiago wants to follow Quinn inside when his father puts his hand on his arm. Tiago knows he can't run.

To his surprise, his father's eyes are twinkling and he actually looks… proud? "It sounds like you know how to please a woman, mijo. You take after your old man. You're doing good."

Tiago goes completely beet red as his father winks and then leaves. He looks utterly confused. "What the fuck?" he aks nobody in particular.

Quinn gets back outside and hands him a glass of water. "I'll be so glad when we live together. Alone. With nobody to catch, hear or smell us having or having had sex."

"I couldn't agree more."

"It's your fault, though," Quinn points out.

"What? How?"

"You're just so sexy and you're so good I keep wanting more," she winks before making her way to Brittany, Kurt, Mike and Mercedes.


End file.
